A Little Tête-à-Tête
by SullenFool
Summary: "Good evening, and welcome to my little haven of the world. I'm sure you have an interesting story to tell, so why not take a seat and I will bring you something to drink?" A story starring a suave Sylveon as he and his motley crew of friends interact with the many interesting inhabitants of a new town. OC submissions welcome.
1. Gent & Lady

**• ****  
****Consultation 1**

**Gent & Lady**

* * *

Dreams. Excitement. Adventure.

These three wonderful words are the magical spells that make Pokémon from all corners of the globe pack up their belongings and set off on a long journey over the land, under the sea, and even flying through the very air itself. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of Pokémon of all kinds, of all shapes and sizes, of both genders, and of any age make this pilgrimage in search of finding, and obtaining these words for themselves.

But, where are they headed, you may ask? Why, the answer should be quite obvious. In the center of the unknown world, in the midst of the untamed wild, situated in the navel of nature itself, lies but a single colony placed atop a grand plateau.

Why, none other than a little place known as... Treasure Town.

Never before had there been such a romantic tale as the founding of Treasure Town. Four magnificent explorers, all of which skilled and wise, struck out to the center of the vast frontier. With nothing but the sweat on their brow, and the limitless dreams they held in their heart, they constructed what is known as one of the greatest colonies known to history.

Any Pokémon that sets foot, paw, or claw on the streets of this town will see in an instant as to why this burg is so lauded throughout the world. It felt as though the very air within Treasure Town made one feel excited just to be there, to be a part of such an important part of the world.

Enthusiasm oozed from every corner of the town, from the fiery shopkeepers waging war against their customers for the sake of sales, to the booming, rowdy atmosphere built up from all the hustle and bustle from the cheery residents. It was a wonderful, uplifting feeling for any Pokémon new to this place.

Naturally, such a feeling extended to even someone such as I. A wide smile was on my face as I trotted down the streets of Treasure Town. Today was shaping up to be a great day, I felt. Not only did I get a nice tour of the town thanks to a couple of beauties, I also managed to make several new friends but a few minutes earlier. All in all, my morning was quite eventful.

A jaunty little tune caught my attention as I continued down the street in high spirits. I turned my head toward a group of flowery Cherrim and Flabébé that were standing at the side of the road. The cheerful little ladies were serenading the passerby with a delightful little song, making anyone who walked by them find a little more spring in their step. As I stopped to enjoy the tune, I decided that it would be remiss for me to not give them a little tip for the cuties.

But, as I was about to withdraw a few coins from my purse, I heard a familiar voice hail me from a distance.

"Barie! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

As I plucked out a few coins for the girls, I looked up and saw an old acquaintance of mine flying down toward me at a dangerous speed. I flicked the coins into the air, and took a step to the side. A few seconds later, a red blur zoomed right through where I was standing, rustling up a small gale in its wake. I covered my face with my ribbons as a wall of loose dirt and dust came billowing through afterward.

"Woah – woah – woah! I can't stop! Eeek!"

A loud scream, then followed by a loud crashing noise rang out behind me. Sighing, I dusted off the dirt on my my ribbons and adjusted the bow tie on my chest before reaching up and catching the coins. I wandered over to the group of Cherrim and Flabébé, who all looked rather frazzled by the sudden explosion, and mouthed an apology before dropping my tip.

Now that the issue of the tip was taken care of, I turned around and faced the newly formed crater behind me. Smack dab in the middle of the road was a feathery heap of red and white. Snowy down fluttered down from the sky as I walked toward the groaning lump. With a sigh, I leaned down at the edge of the crater and frowned.

"Lady, are you alright?" I held out my paw toward her, shaking my head, "I thought your brother told you to not fly so fast while in town."

Lady, a young woman who I was quite acquainted with. Although her name implied maturity, the way she acted was anything but. For example, the pretty little Latias was now lying on her back in the middle of a dirty crater of her own making.

"Urgh... I kinda feel like puking..." After that unladylike remark, Lady let me pull her up by her arms. Her golden eyes were still spinning as she got off her back. She held her head as she began to rise back into the air, hovering just a few inches off the ground.

"My, you're a complete mess now, Lady." I sighed when I saw that the beautiful white feathers that covered her body were marred by splotches of brown. Extending my ribbons toward her, I began to dust off the dirt that she had so lovingly gathered. "What would Gent say if he saw you in this state?"

Her pretty face twisted into an ugly frown as she growled at me, "He would tell me that our stupid Sylveon was an hour late for the meeting, that's what." The Latias gave me an angry glare as she knocked my ribbons away with her arms, "What took you so long? Were you busy hitting on girls again?"

"My, I didn't think Gent had such a nasty tongue," I remarked with a low chuckle. "It rather changes my view of him now, heh."

Lady snarled at my comment, and tried to swipe at my face with her claws. Unfortunately for her, all she managed to strike was thin air.

"My brother does not have a nasty tongue!" She seethed as she tried to remove the ribbons that were wrapped around her arm. "You take that back!"

I covered my mouth with my ribbons, hiding my mischievous grin. I held my paw up at her and gave her a little wink, "How about you and I go and take a stroll around town together, Lady?" I felt a strange sense of joy as I saw an aghast expression crawl onto her face, "I believe I know the layout of the place now. We can go have some fun together."

"D – disgusting!" She spat at me, looking horrified. "There's no way I'd ever go with you, ew!"

"My, that's quite a rejection. You've gone and hurt my feelings."

"Like I care!" She said, folding her arms, "If I were to go out on a date with anybody, it'd be with my brother!" She jabbed a claw toward my face, her talons barely inches away from my nose, "If you ever say something like that again, I'm cutting your ribbons off!"

"Try to keep that temper of yours under control, my dear." I said as I pushed her claw away gently "I believe you're scaring the bystanders."

"Huh?"

I jabbed a paw at the group of Pokémon that had congregated around us. An entire crowd of Pokémon of all kinds had surrounded Lady and I, all of them wearing curious eyes as they watched our heated conversation with interest. To my disappointment, that poor group of singing flowers had scurried away in the fracas. I shook my head. Oh well.

"E – er..." Lady looked a little taken aback by the sudden crowd staring at her. A pink blush began to form on her white – and – brown face. She stopped trying to swipe at me with her claws, and instead began to look a little scared.

"Maybe we should leave now," I leaned over and whispered at her. As much as I would like to see Lady's cute side, it doesn't look like she was enjoying the attention very much. With a gentle tug of my ribbons, I pulled her out of the crater and back onto the road.

"I'm sorry about the chaos everybody," I bowed low to the crowd, keeping my paw on my bow tie as a sign of respect. "please, forget about what you just saw and have a nice day." With my working smile on my face, I gave every member of our motley crowd a nod before turning back to Lady.

"Now then, shall we be off?

Lady gave me a silent nod, her face still sporting those two patches of pink. I grinned as I let go of her arms. She stared at her unbound claws for a moment. Then her eyes widened as the pink on her fce deepened to red.

"Eeeeek!" With a loud screech, my dear friend rocketed up into the sky like a firework. Her red form was visible for but a split second before she disappeared behind a cloud.

"My, my..." I mused with a shrug, "for all her bluster, she still can't handle being in the center of attention."

I let out an amused chuckle as I resumed my walk through the town, passing through the stunned crowd with little trouble. I suppose they were more interested in the odd, flying dragon rather than a little, frilly pink thing like me. But I suppose seeing a Latias crash landing into the road was quite a spectacle. How can a simple, albeit good – looking, Sylveon such as I contend with something as spectacular as that?

My, my. Well, I suppose I shouldn't dawdle for too long. After all, I shouldn't keep my associates waiting. I began to whistle the Cherrim and Flabébé's jaunty tune as I trotted down the streets of Treasure Town.

* * *

"Well look at that. The star of the show finally decided to show up. Did you get lost or something?"

I gave a polite smile and a wink at the rude Latias before taking a seat on the ground to rest my tired legs. Four Pokémon – not including Lady – were present before me. Each and every one of them were Pokémon that I've known for quite some time. We were all standing in the middle of an empty lot, with nothing but dirt and some stray logs lying around.

"Nothing of the sort, my dear." I brushed my fur with my paw and took a deep breath. "I was simply enjoying the fresh air of this place. It's quite refreshing in comparison to the city."

"Pfft, I'm sure you were." Lady made a disparaging noise and stuck out her tongue at me. I let out an amused chuckle and shook my head.

"Lady, don't be rude."

My eyes drifted over to the handsome Pokémon hovering over beside Lady. It was a dragon, much like she was. However, instead of having feathers of a fiery red color, that dragon was instead clad in a dashing coat of royal blue. His deep baritone made Lady flinch and retract her tongue with an apologetic expression on her face.

"And a good noon to you, Gent."

I nodded at the Latios, who returned the favor with a bow of his head. Always the dutiful one, he was. In fact, Gent was already wearing his uniform. A cool, black – colored cap adorned the top of his head, while a thin, silky bow tie graced his neck. He held his arms in front of his chest, a well – trained pose for him. He hovered in the air, stiff like a statue and head held up high. Prim and proper.

He raised his head and spoke in that deep, heart – throbbing voice of his, "Barie, you were meant to be here an hour ago. Would you mind telling me why you were so late?"

"My, my," I held up my own pink bow tie to my mouth and narrowed my eyes at him, "are you interested in my private life, Gent?"

"B – Barie!" I looked over to Lady, who was spluttering mad, "W – what are you implying about my brother?!"

"Lady, hush." Gent said, calming his excitable sister down with a wave of his arm. He turned his attention back to me and spoke in a stern voice, "Barie, I could care less about what you do on your free time. However, you were told to be here on time. And you weren't. I would like to know the reason why."

With a chuckle, I shrugged at the blunt Latios. "Cool and collected as always, Gent." I placed my ribbon in front of my mouth and said, "Nothing ever riles you, hm?"

"Just answer me, Barie."

"Very well," I dropped my ribbon and showed Gent my working smile, "I was taking a walk around the town, getting to know the locals and letting them know about our future establishment."

"I see," Gent said with a short nod, "but why did you forget about your appointment, Barie?"

"Let's say I got a little distracted."

The prim and proper Latios let out a loud sigh at my response. He covered his face with his claw and spoke through his talons, "Flaky as always, Barie." Gent dropped his arm and gave me a withering look, "But I suppose you're quite fortunate that our employer isn't around right now."

My ears perked up at the mention of our boss. I took a quick look around at our group, keeping an eye out for the tipsy Pokémon. Nope. She was nowhere in sight.

"That's odd." I said, rubbing my chin with my ribbon, "Wasn't the boss the one who bugged us to meet her here? It isn't like the boss to just abandon her plans like that." I flicked my ribbon into the air, where it curled itself around my ear. "Gent, do you think something might've happened to her?"

"Hm..." Gent looked down and covered his mouth with his claw as he mulled over my words. He began to mumble in an inaudible voice to himself as he pondered my question.

"Apapa! There ain't anything you should be worried about!" A loud voice drew him out of his thoughts. Gent, Lady and I all turned toward the speaker.

A large Pokémon, covered from head to toe with yellow fuzz was doing a merry jig across from Gent. His wide – brimmed hat flapped up and down in tune with the jolly guy's steps as he danced around, paying no mind to the irritated look on Gent's face.

"What do you mean, Ludicolo?" Gent said, his voice dripping with annoyance.

"Apapa!" Ludicolo let out a loud cry and struck a pose, stamping his foot on the ground and making a sharp 'pap!' noise. His bill – like mouth curled up into a jovial smile as he turned toward Gent and adjusted his hat.

"Gent, you haven't worked with the boss for as long as I have," Ludicolo said, "sometimes the boss just goes off and does her own thing, and we gotta just go with it, you understand?"

"But she..."

"No, no!" Ludicolo stuck out one of his flat hands at Gent, shutting him up as he began to tap his feet. "Bellas, tell our friend what we do when the boss is gone!"

The two cute, flowery Pokémon surrounding Ludicolo sprung into action. With big smiles on their faces, they danced around the astonished Latios, swaying their pretty grass skirts and spinning the petals on their heads.

"When the boss is gone~!" The two Bellossom swung their arms from side to side as they twirled round and round in an adorable little dance. "We dance the time away~!"

"What in the...?" Poor Gent. He looked so confused at what was happening around him. The two delightful flowers threw up their arms and scattered colorful petals all over the Latios, smothering him with an assortment of colors.

I held my paw over my mouth, trying to cover my laughter from the sight of that proud dragon, looking ever so bewildered as the two Bellossom continue to sprinkle him with flowers.

"Hey! Cut that out!" Lady had enough of the strange sight and waved her claws at the dancers, making them halt their routine and run away with a happy squeal, hiding themselves behind Ludicolo. Lady growled and shot them an angry glare as she brushed the petals off her brother's body, which only served to make the Bellossom giggle harder.

"Lady..." Gent grumbled at his sister. I noticed that his gaze had an odd, stern look to it.

"Apapa..." Ludicolo tapped his feet in a catchy rhythm as his two dancers twirled around him. With a quick spin, Ludicolo held out his hand to the dragon siblings and said, "There's no fun in being so uptight all the time, Gent!"

"Mrgh..." Gent flicked away a petal from his snout and adjusted his hat, "...I don't see how you can be so carefree when your employer is missing. Especially since you've worked for her for so long."

"My, my..." I shook my head and pulled a petal out of the air with my ribbon. I held it up to my lips and gave it a kiss before letting it fly away with the breeze. Turning my head over to Gent, I gave him a smile.

"Gent, it's because they've been together for so long that he's so carefree." I pointed at the dancing trio and chuckled, "Ludicolo knows, and trusts the boss. That's why he can dance like that without any worry."

"Apapa! Barie gets it!" Ludicolo leapt into the air and clapped his hands together with a beaming smile on his face. He danced over to me and held his hands out. I took his offer and began to dance alongside my cheerful buddy.

"Hurrah!"

"Hee hee!"

"Apapa!"

The four of us, minus Gent and Lady, spun and twirled all around the empty lot, laughing and singing together. Gent and Lady both made disparaging noises at us, but it wasn't enough to stop the merriment. One of the Bellossom walked over and held up her arms at Gent, trying to persuade him to join in the fun.

"I'm sorry, I'll... I'll pass," Gent said, shaking his head. The Bellossom looked a little down at being rejected, so I pranced on over and laid my ribbon on her head. She looked up at me, surprised.

"Gent," I said, mimicking his own stern voice and shaking my head at the Latios, "when a lady offers you a dance, it is polite to accept it." I wrapped my ribbon around the Bellossom and gently lifted her off the ground. I held the pretty little flower in front of Gent, while the Bellossom held her arms out at him.

"Barie..." Gent grumbled at me as he tried to back away from the cutie. I shook my head and closed the distance with a single step.

"My, I never would've assumed that you were the shy type, my dear Gent."

"Barie, stop annoying my brother!"

All of a sudden, a flash of red appeared in front of me. Sensing danger, I took a quick step backward and moved the Bellossom behind me. As I expected, a red claw came flying just an inch in front of my face. If I hadn't moved away just in time, then Lady's furious attack might've struck the poor flower.

"Lady!" Gent shouted. He turned toward his sister and grabbed onto her claw. His eyes were seething with fury. "What was the meaning of that?"

"B – brother..." Lady looked a little surprised at the anger in his voice, "I... I just wanted to help you..."

Gent shook his head and continued in his stern voice, "Lady, I cannot have you attacking other Pokémon like that. Even if it is for my sake."

"B – but..."

"I don't like it when you lose your temper, Lady. I believe you promised me once before that you would be more professional in your actions. Or was that just an empty promise?"

Lady looked crushed after hearing Gent's scolding words. Her head hung low as she held her claws together. The gold in her eyes was wobbling as tears threatened to roll down her cheeks.

"Now, now," I quickly interjected, placing myself in between the two siblings, "there's no need to be so harsh on her, Gent."

"Barie?" Gent's brow raised as he saw me put the Bellossom down.

"Gent, I know you're a stickler for being proper and professional," I said as I turned toward Lady. I held my ribbons up to her face and wiped away the tears on her face. "but you shouldn't let that affect the way you treat your family."

"And you are fine with her just hurting you like that then?"

I turned around and smiled at Gent, "I don't have any injuries on me, now do I?" With a shake of my head, I walked away from the pair and said, "Now then, how about we just let it be? No one is hurt, right?"

The Bellossom raised up her arm and nodded.

"See?" I turned around and held up a paw at Gent, "So everything's fine in the end." I pointed at the despondent Latias and said, "Now, why don't you two make up and be happy siblings again?"

"Barie..." The Latios continued to send me that same look of frustration, while his sister wrung her hands together in desperation. I sighed and shook my head. There was only one reason why he was being so difficult, and I had an inkling as to what it was.

"Gent, I know you're worried, and impatient to start your duties again."

Was that bingo? Yep. As I expected. A look of shock flitted across his handsome features, but he tried to hide it with his stubborn frown. Something like that couldn't escape my keen eyes though. My mouth curled into a smirk as the situation became clearer to me.

"You're such a workaholic, my dear Gent," I said as I wandered beside him, patting his downy feathers with my paw, "look at you, your muscles are all tense like a Spinarak's web."

He made a low growling noise as he shook my paw off of him. I took the hint and placed a single step's worth of distance between us before continuing my spiel.

"You were always a hard worker, Gent." I said, sitting myself down on the ground and staring him right in the eye, "In fact, I think you've probably spent more hours working back at the city than all of us here combined by this point." I let out a short chuckle, "Like I said, you're a workaholic."

Standing up, I walked over to Gent and placed my ribbons on his arms, still keeping my eyes on his.

"Don't get me wrong, I respect you for your dedication, Gent. In fact, I'd say I actually admire you for your hard work all the time." I shook my head, "You're a completely different beast than I am. You're always behind everybody, working hard while I'm just gamboling around like a fool."

I held up my ribbons and let them flutter around my head, "But, you have to realize that spending your entire life only worrying about your duties will only lead you to a dull future."

"Barie..." His voice had changed. No longer did he have that grumbling, angry tone. Instead, he sounded more mellow and calm. Perhaps my words were getting through to him. Smiling, I held his claws with my paws, making sure not to touch his sharp talons.

"We've all moved here to this wonderful town. Have you seen it yet?"

"No... not yet," he said, with the slightest hint of disappointment in his voice. "I was busy trying to organize our materials and make sure the caravans all arrived safely."

"Well, I have." I closed my eyes and began to recount my experiences, "I saw hundreds and hundreds of different Pokémon, most of them had just moved in like us. And you know what else? All of them wore these enthused, almost jubiliant looks on their faces as they wandered around the town like me."

I opened my eyes and remembered a specific event in my mind, "I've even got to meet a pair of lovely young explorers."I paused to allow myself a small chuckle, "Despite the fact that we went through some rough patches at first, I was pleasantly surprised when we separated as friends, not bitter enemies."

"For me, it was so jarring. Shocking even. Maybe I was too used the constant flood of frowns and scowls from the city. But here, it was like walking into a world of endless smiles and happiness."

"What do you mean?" Gent said, still looking a little bit confused.

I shook my head at the stiff Latios, "This town... Treasure Town is different from the doldrums of a city we called home. Much different." With a swish of my ribbons, I rotated his head toward the street that lead into town, "It's a place of dreams, excitement, and adventure. There's so much to see, so much to do, and best of all, so many Pokémon to meet. It's a very, very wonderful town."

"Which is why..." With a mischievous grin, I lifted Gent's claw and tugged him toward his sister. I placed his claw on top of his sister's and pressed them together, making the two hold onto each other. Both of their eyes opened wide as they looked down at me, bewilderment and astonishment covered their faces like a mask. I simply let go of their claws and walked away from them.

"...I want you to take your sister out on a tour of the town. Just the two of you. Simply put, a date, you could call it."

"Eh?"

"EEEEEH?"

My, two similar, yet completely different screams of surprise. I covered my smile with my ribbon as I watched their faces flush red. Even the stoic Gent couldn't help but be taken in by his embarrassment, as his cheeks began to glow like a Pikachu's.

"B – Barie...!" Gent stammered, waving his other claw in the air wildly, "I – I can't just abandon my duties to go play around!"

"What duties?" I said in a plain voice, tilting my head to the side. "When I arrived, all I saw was the entire gang just standing there without anything to do." I held up my paw and gestured toward the empty lot, "Take a good look. There's nothing here, and the boss is absent as well. Why not take the time to go pal around a bit, see the sights and have some fun?"

"It would be remiss for you – and your sister – to miss out on seeing this town with your own eyes." I said, giving the two of them my best working smile, "You won't get a chance like this again when our work resumes."

I turned my gaze over to Lady and winked. "Unless our darling Lady has any objections, of course."

"E – eh?" Her head shot up with a start. My, pretty much all the white on her face had vanished. It was all red now, thanks to her adorable blush.

"How about it?" I said, "You said it before, didn't you? 'If I were to go out on a date with anybody, it'd be with my brother!' That is what you said to me earlier, is it not?"

"B – Barie!" Her eyes opened wide in horror as she shot a glance at her brother before stammering at me, "I – I wasn't... I didn't mean it, but – no I mean...! I want to...!"

"Lady...?" Gent looked confused as he looked down at his sister. Her face must've been burning hotter than a Slugma by now.

After a moment of silence, it appeared as though Lady finally managed to calm her self down. She took a deep breath and mumbled as she held her brother's claws.

"...I want to go with you to town, brother..."

"What did you say?!"

She looked up into his eyes, "I said, I want to go on a date with you, brother!" She took his claws and began to pull, tugging him away from the group and toward the town.

Poor Gent. His eyes were opened up wide, his hat was laid askew on top of his head, and his bow tie looked as though it was about to slip off his neck. Perhaps his prim and proper mind simply could not comprehend the idea of taking his sister out on a date. Regardless, it was a good opportunity for the two to make up. And I wasn't about to let him pass it up.

"Very well then!" I said, clapping my paws together and beaming at the two, "Off you go then, have fun!" I turned toward Gent and added, "And don't you worry about the boss when she comes back. I'll speak to her on your behalf."

"T – that doesn't really reassure me, Barie..." He muttered as his sister began to drag him off, "L – Lady, wait a second...!"

His protests fell on deaf ears. Before the two of them vanished into the town, I saw Lady turn around for a brief moment. Her golden eyes met my blue for a fraction of a second. But, that was all that she needed to convey her message.

'Thanks, Barie.'

"My, my." I held my ribbon up to my mouth and chuckled. "You're quite welcome, my Lady."

* * *

**[Afterward: This story accepts OCs. If you wish to see one of your character(s) featured in a future chapter, feel free to submit your ideas through PMs or reviews. Any format is acceptable, but I prefer it like this. Thank you in advance.]  
**

**Name:**  
**Species:**  
**Personality:**  
**Special Traits:**  
**Other:**


	2. Kangaskhan's Inn

**• ****  
****Consultation 2  
**

**Kangaskhan's Inn  
**

* * *

Although I am glad that I helped patch things up between Lady and her stuffy brother, it did leave me with little else to do afterward. After all, I did promise that I'd explain to the boss about the two when she comes back. _If_ she comes back anyway. A whole hour in the searing hot summer sun had come and gone, and with it, no sign of our beloved leader.

Yawning, I slumped my bored self atop of one of the stray logs as if I was a particularly pretty Slakoth. In my opinion, one of the worst things in the world is having nothing to do. I believe there exists an elegant saying out there that aptly sums up how I feel right now. How did it go again? Oh right.

"Boredom stinks." I grumbled as I rested my chin on top of the rough log. Wood chippings and splinters were covering my fur, but with how bored I am – and in this heat – I really couldn't be bothered to care.

"Apapa... I wonder why she's taking so long...?"

I didn't even have the willpower to turn and face Ludicolo. Instead, I looked at him through the corner of my eye instead. It looks like even that infinite fountain of joy and cheer was getting a little bit low on water. Poor Ludicolo was sitting on the ground, fanning himself with his large hands. His two Bellas were sitting behind him, using his rotund body as shelter from the sun.

"I wonder, what if she got lost in town?" I mused, flopping myself off the log and onto the ground. As I lazily got back onto my feet, I sent Ludicolo a glance while dusting myself off. "You and I both know how much of a flak– hm..."

I held my paw over my mouth and tried to think of a non – offensive word to use. However, it appears as though the summer sun had seared away all of my politeness toward the absent boss. Leaving me with nothing but a long list of insulting terms. I chuckled and shook my head. My, my, I couldn't allow such vulgar things to exit my mouth. I'll leave that for Lady to do in my place.

"What do you think we should do, Barie?" Ludicolo panted, "If we keep sitting here, we'll be roasted! Apapa..."

"I can feel my dress burning up in this heat..." One of the Bellossom whimpered, "I want to go to the fountain..."

"Hm..." I held my ribbon up to my mouth and mulled over our choices. The reason why we were sitting here in this blazing hot sun was because our boss had called for us to meet here before we all split up as we entered the town. Unfortunately for us, our dear employer is nowhere to be found. And as we continue to sit here in this dreadful heat, we're soon to become 'nowhere to be found' as well.

Sighing, I shrugged and walked over to Ludicolo. I tapped him on the wrist to get his attention. He looked up from his slump, almost hitting me in the chin with his wide – brimmed hat.

"Apapa?" He said, his face a mask of confusion. I put on my working smile and wrapped my ribbons around his arm and, with great exertion, pulled him onto his feet. The two Bellossom cried out in annoyance as they were exposed to the sun once more.

"We're leaving," I announced to them, "the longer we sit here, the more likely we'll end up as pretty puddles in the dirt. And I'm sure the boss wouldn't want to see that when... _if_ she ever returns."

"Apapa... but where do we go?" Ludicolo asked, looking worried, "And how do we let the boss know where we went?"

"We'll leave her a message," I pointed at the logs lying on the ground, "Ludicolo, do you mind helping me spell something out?"

"No problem, Barie."

Grateful at how cooperative my friend was, I walked over to the logs and counted them. One, two, three... aha, there was just enough to spell out the word I wanted. I gestured to Ludicolo to come lumbering over and pick up some of the logs for me. With my paw, I sketched out a word in the dirt and directed his gaze toward it.

"Heeh... I see what you're doing, Barie." My jolly friend chuckled and stretched out his arms with a grin on his face, "That's a good idea, buddy!"

Chuckling, I walked over to one of the logs and wrapped my ribbons around it. With a grunt, I attempted to lift the heavy thing, but it refused to budge. It was as heavy as a mountain! It wouldn't even move a single inch! Frowning, I tried again, closing my eyes, and putting more effort into lifting it this time.

To my surprise, the log began to rise into the air. In fact, it was rising so fast that I felt as though my feet were about to leave the ground!

...hold on, my feet _were_ leaving the ground!

"Waaah!" My eyes flew open in shock. I found myself suspended in the air, hanging off the log by my ribbons as if I was a piece of laundry hanging on a rack! I twisted and turned until I found myself staring into Ludicolo's chuckling face.

"Apapa! Having fun up there, Barie?"

"I take it you don't need my help, do you?" I said back at him, feeling defeated, "You look like you have things handled quite well, Ludicolo.

As I unhooked my ribbons from the log and dropped back onto the ground, Ludicolo shook one of his fingers at me. He held up the log with one arm and threw it over his shoulder with almost insulting ease.

"No, no. I can't let someone as delicate as you do this work, Barie." He said, grinning at me, "After all, back at the city, you can't even hold up a frying pan. How can I let you play around with logs as heavy as this?"

"I... er..."

Although it pains me to hear it, he did have a point. I looked down at my paws and sighed. Truth be told, I wasn't very skilled when it comes to physical prowess. While I could manipulate a mug or a plate with my ribbons with ease, I'd falter if somebody made me hold anything that's heavier than a kettle.

A frown crawled onto my face as I remembered how I once made a mockery of myself when I tried to hold a soup – filled pot. My, that was not something I'd like to relive...

"Apapa! Don't beat yourself up, buddy!" Ludicolo chortled as he threw down one of the logs into position. He walked over to me, another log already on his shoulder, and patted me on the back. "Your skills lie elsewhere, you and I both know that. Not only that, you'll make everybody sad if you get your pretty fur dirty by moving these logs with me, apapa!"

"That's right Barie!" I turned my head as one of the Bellossom waltzed up to me, a cute smile on her face. She patted my leg with her hand and said, "It's like what the boss always says. You're pretty much the star of the show, aren't you? So you need to keep yourself clean!"

"Star of the show, hm?" I chuckled behind my bow tie and patted her head with my ribbon, "Maybe at night, perhaps. But during the daytime, I'm just as important as any of you."

I shrugged and took a step back as Ludicolo put down another log. I smiled at the Bellossom and added, "Well, no one can really call me a show star yet. We don't even have a stage, do we?"

"Apapa... that's supposed to be what the boss is doing," Ludicolo commented, "she's supposed to be off finding a suitable location for us."

"It doesn't seem like it's easy," I mused, "but I suppose location is important if we're planning to set up shop here for a long time. The last thing we'd want is to settle in some desolate, remote part of town where no one ever goes. It'd be bad for business."

"Apapa... that'd be bad, yup."

With a hearty 'apapa!' Ludicolo hurled down the last log, finishing the mural I planned. Grinning wide, he took a step back to admire his handiwork. With all the logs in place, the completed message spelled out a single word.

"And with that, we can leave." I said with cheerful clap of my paws, "If the boss does come back, she'll know we've left for the only 'Inn' in town."

"Kangaskhan's Inn! Apapa!"

* * *

Now this was an atmosphere I could get used to.

As we let ourselves through the two swinging doors that served as the entrance into the inn, we were comforted by a refreshing wave of cool air from inside. Bubbles filled with excitement and lively chatter floated overhead, entertaining my ears with snippets of conversation. A smile made its way onto my face as I overheard all sorts of things, ranging hushed whispers discussing the latest rumors, to excited rumblings about adventure, or even mundane things like what to eat for dinner.

Ludicolo and I wandered into the middle of the lobby, placing ourselves in front of the receptionist's desk. The two delightful Bellas danced around us, cooling themselves off and entertaining the onlookers with their cute dance.

"Good afternoon!" An adorable voice came from the desk, making my head turn. A young Pokémon was sitting on top of the wooden surface, holding a little pocketbook in one claw and a quill pen in the other. She must be Kangaskhan's daughter, I presumed.

She made a little bow with her head and gave me the most heart – melting smile I've ever seen as I walked up to her desk. "Welcome to Kangaskhan's Inn! My name is Senia, how many I help you?"

"Oh my, you're quite the lovely receptionist," I returned her smile with one of my own. I held my paw over my bow tie and bowed my head, "it's a good afternoon to you too, Senia. My name is Barie, and the dancing trio behind me are my friends. It's good to meet you."

"It's good to meet all of you too!" She replied in a delightful, sunny voice, "Are you looking for a room? We're a little crowded right now, but I'm sure I can find a vacant room for you to stay!"

"Oh no, it's quite alright," I said with a shake of my head, "we're not here for a room. Rather, we came in here to find relief from the blistering heat."

"Oh..." her smile appeared to wilt for a second, but the cutie quickly recovered and beamed at me. "Well, if you and your friends would like to just rest for a moment, we have a lounge for tired travelers on the next floor." She pointed a little claw toward a large staircase behind her desk. It appeared to lead downward to another floor beneath us. "It's nice and cold down there, so I'm sure you'll enjoy it!"

With a nod, I smiled at the cute receptionist and asked, "Will it cost us anything to take the load off for a bit?"

"Cost you?" Little Senia looked confused for a moment. She stuck her fingers in her mouth and appeared to be thinking over my words. After a moment of silence, she shook her head at me.

"No, you don't have to pay us anything." Her smile returned to her face as she clapped her claws together, "Mommy always told me to be hospitable to anyone that enters our inn, so we don't ask travelers or visitors to pay us for lodging unless they really want to.

I was a little surprised, to say the least. Lodging, for free? My, back at the city, such a thing would be considered absurd, if not absolutely ridiculous. However, as I looked at Senia's cheerful face, I couldn't help but shake my head and smile.

"My, your mother is quite generous," I remarked, "if that's the case, then we gratefully accept your hospitality, Senia."

"You're welcome, Barie! You can stay for as long as you'd like!" She replied with such sincere happiness that it almost made me want to reach up and give her a big hug. Restraining my urges, I backed away from the desk and gave her a bow instead.

"Well then... Ludicolo, Bellas," I turned toward my friends and gestured toward the stairs, "shall we?"

"Ooh, I hope there's a lot of Pokémon down there!" One of the Bellas said, her eyes sparkling with excitement, "I'd love to perform in front of a big crowd! It'll be so much fun!"

"Yup! I can't wait either!" Her partner nudged Ludicolo, urging him to go to the staircase, "Come on Ludicolo! Let's go! Let's go!"

"I don't see why not!" Ludicolo picked up the two Bellas and put them on his shoulders. "I'm sure it'll be fun! Apapa!"

With the two giggling flowers at his sides, Ludicolo shuffled through the crowded lobby and made his way over to the staircase. I purposely lagged behind the dancing trio, letting them head down into the lounge first. I glanced around, taking in the rowdy atmosphere that surrounded me. Although I am no stranger to loud and raucous crowds, there was something different about this place.

I pricked up my ears and closed my eyes, letting myself be caressed by the emotions that floated around the lobby. I sensed little Senia's cheeriness as she welcomed yet another group of visitors. I felt the excitement bubbling up from a pair of young explorers as they chit – chatted about their adventures, while waves of exhaustion flooded out of another pair. There were so many different moods... so many different feelings... but there was one common thread tying it all together.

Everybody was happy. Even that tired pair was emanating a sense of satisfaction as they staggered through the lobby. I've never felt so much elation and joy around me before in my entire life. For me, it felt so odd, so unnatural... and yet, I couldn't get enough of it.

"Um, mister? Are you alright?"

"Whuh?" My eyes flew wide open as a new voice snapped me out of my blissful reverie. I turned around and found a worried – looking Snivy staring at me. His face had the look of one who just found an ill person lying at the side of the street. Shaking my head, I put my working smile back on my face and refocused my thoughts.

"Oh my, can I help you?" I said as I adjusted my bow tie with my paws.

"Er..." he shook his head and continued to stare at me with those large, curious eyes. When I looked into his eyes, he quickly turned away and began to fiddle with the small, green – colored pouch at his side. "I was just wondering if you were sick, mister. You were kinda... zoning out there..."

I waved my paw at him and chuckled, "My, you were worried about me?" I curled one of my ribbons underneath his pointy snout and gave him a wink, "I'm touched."

"Er...!" Rather predictably, the Snivy recoiled and slapped my ribbon away from his face. His look of curiosity transformed into surprise as he backed a few steps away from me. Chuckling, I covered my mouth with my ribbon and shook my head.

"My, there's no need to be so scared. I'm alright, as you can see," I said in an attempt to reassure him, but it didn't seem to work, as the Snivy continued to stare at me as if I was something terrifying. How depressing!

"W – well, if you're alright, then I think I should... go!"

After taking another step back, he turned around and sped away. I watched his leaf – shaped tail disappear behind the swinging doors as he scurried out the inn. I sighed and shrugged. It appeared as though most Pokémon here in this town are rather innocent. Holding my ribbon up to my mouth again, I recalled a certain darling Eevee also reacted in a similar fashion earlier.

"Hm... perhaps I should change how I speak to others here..." musing to nobody in particular, I smiled and turned toward the staircase. As I spun around on the balls of my feet, a brief glint of light caught my eye. Looking down, I saw a tiny jewel lying on the floor where that nervous Snivy was standing just a moment before.

"Oh my, did he drop this?" I muttered to myself as I picked it up using my ribbon. It was a small, colorless gem. Though... calling it a gem was being generous. It was clear to me that no craftsman had touched it before. The surface remained pure and uncut, with a rough texture covering the surface. I highly doubted that there was any worth behind it.

Yet, as I continued to hold onto it with ribbons, I could feel a little warmth radiating from the tiny thing. If I were to describe what this warmth felt like... it would say that it felt like love. This gem was very well – cared for, and must've been very dear to that Snivy. As I looked down at the gem, I could see my smiling face reflected on its scratchy surface.

I sent a brief glance at the inn's entrance, wondering if that Snivy will pop back inside with a panicked look on his face. Unfortunately, both for me and that Snivy, he did not appear again. With a sigh, I turned away and held the gem up into the air.

"Well, I suppose I'll be taking care of you until your owner returns." I muttered to myself as I stared at the little thing. Keeping in mind that it's only a temporary loan from that Snivy, I lowered the gem to my side and slipped it safely inside of my purse. After making sure it wasn't going to slip away like it did for its owner, I made my way over to the staircase.

* * *

The lounge was a pretty spacious area, filled with cushy sofas and tables made from a handsome – looking wood. The lighting was dim, and the air was cool – making it a rather relaxing place to be in. There was a sizable stage built out of wood on the other side of the room, complete with drawable curtains and a blank banner across the top. It gave me the impression that this place often provided entertainment in the form of shows or performances.

However, as I stepped foot into the lounge, I sensed something strange. A familiar sound had reached my ears when I walked inside, and it brought with it a distinct sensation of relief. A jolt of excitement zipped through my body as I looked up at that stage. A bunch of Pokémon was crowding around it, preventing me from seeing whoever it was that was speaking to them.

Not that I needed to see it anyway. Even from the staircase all the way over here, I had no trouble discerning who it was.

"...and so! I am happy to announce that Spinda's Cafe will be providing services to all explorers living within Treasure Town! The Grand Opening shall take place tomorrow in the Main Plaza, which is also where you will find our new premises!"

"Is that so? The Main Plaza?!"

"Thaaaat is so!"

I had to cover my ears as a wave of applause and cheers exploded from the audience, as well as loud, raucous shouts and high – pitched whistles. Shaking my head, I sighed and walked up to the side of the lounge. I recognized this pattern, and it made me feel a little amused to see it happen from this angle for once. Finding myself an empty sofa, I plonked myself down and rested my chin against the armrest as I enjoyed the show.

"So this is where she was, hm?"

Standing... well, wobbling atop the stage was a rather unstable Pokémon. She stumbled around the stage as she addressed the audience. With her odd, teetering movements and loud, attention – grabbing voice, my boss was quite a sight to behold. I smirked and shook my head as I watched good old Spinda work her magic over the crowd.

"And so! If any of you fine Pokémon would like to support our delightful new venture here in Treasure Town, I would be most pleased if any of you would come and partake in our Grand Opening party tomorrow! We will be serving fresh drinks all day, as well as running a special raffle for great prizes! It will be exciting and spectacular!"

"Is that so? Raffles and drinks?!"

"Thaaaat is so!"

Her sycophants were an eye – catching, brother – sister pair. Wynaut and Wobbuffet were what I would like to call the perfect combination when it comes to drumming up excitement. Coupled with my boss' incredible oratory skills, the three of them are the best at arousing and capturing the attention of any Pokémon that was within earshot.

As proof of their well – honed performance skills, the crowd could not stop clapping and whistling at the three of them. I sat back in the sofa, feeling the sheer joy and excitement from the audience wash over me. Some Pokémon were even stamping the ground with their tails and feet, making the ground tremble and shake as if an earthquake had hit.

"Aaaand that's not all!" Spinda shouted, extending both of her stubby arms out to the side in a dramatic gesture. "The first two that arrive at the Grand Opening ceremony tomorrow will get _something special_ from all of us as a thank you for welcoming us into your wonderful town!"

"Is that so?! _Something special?!_" Wynaut clasped the side of his face with his hands and stared at Wobbuffet in mock surprise,_ "_What could it be?! I have no idea, but it must be _amazing, _right?!"

"That..." Wobbuffet looked away from Spinda and Wynaut, her lipsticked face framed in shadow as she fell slient. The crowd waited with bated breath as they all turned to look at Wobbuffet, their faces filled with anticipation and impatience.

"That...!" All of a sudden, Wobbuffet spun around on her four feet. When she turned back again, she had a large wicker basket in her arms. She stuck her hand inside of it and, with a dramatic flourish, threw whatever was inside out into the air while screaming in a voice as loud as she could muster, "..._is so!_"

The audience let out a loud cheer as a ton of paper began to flutter down from the ceiling. Paws, hands and vines reached up into the air as every Pokémon attempted to snag a copy for themselves. One particular piece of paper avoided everyone's grasp and made its way over to where I was sitting. With a lazy flick, I sent my ribbon out and snagged the mischievous piece of parchment.

"And that concludes our announcement today!" Spinda said as she gave the audience an unsteady bow, "Thank you all for coming! And I hope to see you all at our new premises tomorrow! The address is written on those fliers we just passed out, so make sure you grab a copy!"

With that, the curtains surrounding the stage snapped shut and hid the three bowing Pokémon from view. As soon as the performance ended, the audience began to discuss and converse amongst themselves about what they just saw. Papers continued to fly around in the air, searching for anybody that hasn't found themselves a copy yet.

I glanced down at my own, even though I already knew what it was. Smiling, I leaned back into the sofa and perused the advertisement. Displayed in the center, right underneath our fancy logo, was a large picture displaying everybody that worked at Spinda's Cafe, from Ludicolo to the Bellas to even the dragon siblings. And of course, there I was, standing beside everybody at the right side with a tiny smirk on my face and my paw held up.

I held my paw against my own, reminiscing the day when we had this picture drawn for us back in the city. My, that was an exciting day for everybody. There was a lot of talk about what we'll do when we get here, and how life will be different once we reached the town. I remember Gent arguing with Lady about her manner of dress that day, as well as Ludicolo making an absolute mess by tripping while carrying a stack of plates.

But most of all, I remembered her. I glanced down at the advertisement, at the rightmost edge of the paper, right beside where I was sitting. The weather was rather dreary that day, and there was the faintest hint of rain in the air. Despite that, I knew I had to see her one last time before we were gone for good. Even though I knew I shouldn't have, I couldn't just leave my city without saying goodbye.

I shook my head and sighed as I felt my happy mood from earlier drain away. I took one more look at our group picture before flicking it back into the air. Well, there's no reason to be feeling down, not when everybody around me are so happy and cheerful. I took a deep breath and pushed that negative emotion out of my mind.

This is a new town. There's no reason to dredge up old, painful memories. That's not what she would've wanted me to do, after all. I'm here to make new, happier memories that I can be fond of. Even if it means I have to... forget her in the process.

"Guh...!" I bit my tongue and shook my head. Clutching my bow tie, I closed my eyes and took another deep breath to quench that rising sense of nausea inside of me. I felt a weak smirk crawl its way onto my face as I let out the air in my chest.

"Just what am I doing...?" I muttered as I shook my head. Letting go of my bow tie, I patted both of my cheeks and sighed up into the air. That defeated smirk was still present on my face as I gave the ceiling a blank stare.

"Heh..." a quiet chuckle emanated from my throat as I watched one of the advertisements flutter by overhead. "It looks like... I'm still not ready to give up the past yet, hm?"

With another deep sigh, I slid off the sofa and back onto my feet. Stretching out my legs, I looked around the lounge for any sign of Spinda or Ludicolo and the Bellas. Odd, I can't seem to find them anywhere. Not even Ludicolo, who's large and yellow body should be easy to find in this crowd. I held my bow tie up to my mouth and mulled over the possibilities.

The most probable explanation I could think of was that Ludicolo and the Bellas met up with Spinda before I came down into the lounge. Therefore, the six of them must be sitting behind the curtain. There must be a place backstage for performers to rest when they aren't onstage.

Well, I shouldn't go see them in my current state of mind anyway. I'll take a walk outside for a while until I feel better, then come back and say my greetings to the boss.

"Sounds like a plan," I mused to myself as I made my way toward the stairs.


	3. Tauros

**• ****  
****Consultation 3  
**

**Tauros  
**

* * *

As I returned to the main lobby of the inn, I let out a quiet yawn and meandered back toward the front desk. Pokémon were still coming and going through the swinging doors that made up the entrance to the inn. With every new visitor came a gust of hot, summer wind. It wasn't something I particularly appreciated, so I sidled over to the back of the front desk, where the heat wave wouldn't reach me.

Little Senia was still sitting at the desk all by her lonesome, For a Pokémon that looked as though she was half my age, she was quite a diligent little girl. A bright, genuine smile was present on her face as she greeted the new visitors with her delightful voice. Taking a seat by her desk, I watched with interest as little Senia cheerfully took down the names of new patrons and residents in her little logbook.

"So a mister Tach, is it? Will that be just for tonight, or will you be staying for longer?"

The visitor mumbled something about needing to spend only the night, and wandered away from the desk after receiving a room key from Senia. My gaze followed the visitor for a while before he disappeared behind a doorway that lead deeper into the inn. Smiling, I returned my attention back to the front desk and the little darling.

"No... I'm sorry, we don't allow for over six Pokémon to stay in a room here," she said in an apologetic voice. The flock of Doduo that were crowding in front of her desk squawked rudely as she bowed. "I'm really sorry!"

Several loud squawks of indignation and frustration rang out from the flock of Doduo as they stormed out of the inn, fuming. Little Senia let out a loud, depressed sigh as the swinging doors creaked to a close.

"What a rude group," I grumbled as I walked around the desk, shaking my head. I placed my paw on my fur, brushing off the dust that landed on it from the fuming flock's retreat.

"Oh, mister Barie! I didn't see you there before." The little Kangaskhan girl was staring at me with a surprised look on her face. I noticed that the edges of her mouth were twitching as she tried to give me a cheerful smile.

I held my bow tie up to my mouth as I glanced at the inn's entrance, then back at Senia. The light in her eyes were wavering as she fumbled around with her logbook. I sighed. What those Doduo said to her must've affected her more than she was willing to let on.

How distasteful. I covered up my growing frown with my ribbon and shook my head. One should never hurt the feelings of a lady, no matter how frustrated or how irritated you are. This is the number one rule of being a professional. Well, in my book anyway.

"Mister Barie? Is there something wrong?"

Senia's concerned voice snapped me out of my self – righteous thoughts. I dropped my bow tie and put a beaming smile on my face as I looked up at her.

"I'm fine," I said, giving her a cheery wink, "but how about you, my dear? Those Doduo were quite a rowdy bunch," I leaned over her desk and asked, "are you feeling alright?"

A look of surprise flashed across her cute face as her cheeks flushed pink. Little Senia gave me a cute smile as she hugged her logbook and said, "I'm fine, mister Barie. You don't have to worry about me." She dropped her logbook onto the desk and pressed her claws together. Her voice quieted as she whispered to me, "We get Pokémon like that sometimes. It's really scary when they get angry..." She shook her head and smiled wide, "but, I'm not afraid."

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrows in response, "Why's that?"

"Because!" She clapped her paws together, making a loud _pap!_ Little Senia puffed out her chest and placed her claws on her hips, smiling proudly, "Mom tells me that I have no reason to be afraid of rude or mean Pokémon."

Senia made a low growl and narrowed her eyes at me. She held her claws up beside her face and wiggled her fingers, "She tells me that when a guest is being mean, I should look them right in the eye and show them that I'm not scared!"

"Heh," I chuckled as she made a cute little roar at me. I raised up my paws and widened my eyes, pretending to be afraid of the little Kangaskhan, "you're definitely terrifying me, my dear. Woah!"

"Hee, hee!" She clapped her claws together, "I didn't mean to scare you, mister Barie! You seem like a nice guy!"

"Seem?" I chuckled and patted her head with my ribbon, "I'm flattered, thank you Senia."

"You're welcome!" The little concierge gave me such a lovable smile that I felt as though my heart was about to melt into a puddle. I patted her head again and quickly looked away before I ended up losing control of myself and end up hugging her in the middle of the lobby. The bright happiness that was radiating from the little darling was enough to make me forget about my own woes for a moment.

However, as I turned to face the swinging doors, I felt Senia's cheeriness vanish from my heart as a wave of blue came barreling toward me like an avalanche. It was as if something icy cold had just struck my head with a large stick. My eyes widened as I shook my head, trying to make sense of what that chill was. I tightened my ribbons around my ear and legs, muffling my senses for the time being as I glanced around the lobby.

That was an incredible wave of sadness, a torrent of depression, I would say. Even though I'm dampening my senses, I could still feel that aura of blue emanating from somewhere inside the lobby. It was like a bright beacon, shining out over the serene sea. Though, instead of being a bright flame, I suppose it would be more like a block of ice, mm?

A visitor walked up to little Senia's receptionist desk and took her attention away from me. Smiling, I waved goodbye to her with my paw and made my way over to where I assumed that wave of blue was coming from. Even though there was still large crowd of Pokémon loitering inside of the lobby, it wasn't difficult to make out the origin of that aura. After all, one had to be blind to miss such a distinct Pokémon.

"Mrphf..."

The proud, muscled Tauros stood at a particularly dark corner of the lobby, all by his lonesome. Probably not by choice, as it appeared that the Pokémon in the lobby were afraid to get near him. A large berth of space was present in between the Tauros and the rest. I couldn't blame them. After all, that Tauros' menacing eyes kept flitting around between the crowd and the receptionist's desk, giving off a rather dangerous feeling.

I hid myself behind a group of tittering Chansey as I observed that loner Tauros. Despite the angry facade he wore, I could sense a sort of boiling sadness inside of his heart. Well, I say sense, but in actuality, that blue emotion was just pouring out of him like an overflowing bucket. I covered my mouth with my bow tie as I mulled over why such a proud, majestic Pokémon would be so depressed.

"Mrphf..." the Tauros let out another snort and glanced my way. I hurriedly averted my gaze, pretending that I was a part of this group of cheery Chansey. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Tauros stare at me for a moment before shaking his head. His gaze flitted over to the receptionist's desk one more time. Then, he began to leave.

I watched as the Tauros trudged through the crowd, his movement sluggish and his face downcast. His eyes kept flickering between the floor and the desk as he made his way toward the exit. Another burst of hot air came flowing into the inn as he pushed open the swinging doors with his horns, eliciting several irritated groans and moans from Pokémon standing in front of it.

Not wanting to lose sight of that interesting Tauros, I detached myself from the group of Chansey and followed after him. Although I wasn't too keen on leaving the cool inn, satiating my curiosity had a much higher priority on my mind.

"Goodbye, mister Barie! I hope to see you again!"

I felt my lips curl up into a smile as I pushed open the swinging doors. With little Senia's delightful voice ringing in my head, I left the cool inn and returned to the wondrous town outside.

* * *

If there was one thing I missed about the city, it would be the shade. Perpetual shadows were cast over the streets thanks toy the tall, looming buildings that straddled the side of the roads there. Although it was a depressing sight for any Pokémon that enjoyed seeing the sky, it did have a decent side effect in keeping the temperature cool and breezy, even during the summertime.

I couldn't say the same for Treasure Town. The buildings here were a little on the short side, giving off little to no shade at all. Plus, the roads were a bit on the wide side, making the tiny shade fairly worthless.

Therefore, there was hardly any relief from the blazing hot summer sun while you walked through the streets. To cap it off, several buildings looked as though they had large chunks torn out of them, what with missing windows, roofs or even an entire floor.

I shook my head. This isn't the time to be worried about the state of the town. I scanned around the sunny street, keeping my eyes open for any sign of that burly Tauros.

"Aha," a smirk crawled onto my face as I saw the Tauros' three – tailed behind shrinking away in the distance. I held all four of my ribbons over my forehead, creating a rather poor excuse for a shade for my face as I trotted after the Tauros.

"Looks like he's wandering back to the empty lots," I muttered to no one in particular. A grumbling annoyance rose up in my heart as I followed him. The last thing I wanted was to head to somewhere that had no protection from this sweltering heat. What a pain.

I shook my frustration out of my mind. Now that I was a resident of this town, I suppose I should start getting used to this heat rather than complain about it. Come to think of it, if I had my old job – along with my old shifts – I probably wouldn't be seeing the sun very often. If anything, I should enjoy the brightness for now.

After convincing myself to enjoy this heat with that lie, I smirked and sped up my pace as to not lose that Tauros in the crowd.

* * *

Several searing minutes passed before that Tauros reached his destination. I recognized the empty lot that my coworkers and I were standing at earlier, complete with the message we wrote with the logs. But the Tauros wasn't heading toward our pointless sign. Instead, he trotted over to another empty lot a distance away from ours.

As I followed him, I saw him walk toward a large bench made out of sun – bleached wood. It was situated underneath a large shadow cast by a gnarled, leafy tree. I heard the aged wood creak and groan in agony as the heavy Pokémon set himself on top of it. The Tauros let out a plume of black smoke out of his nostrils as he sighed in relief from the sun.

"Great weather we're having today, don't you think?"

The Tauros flinched and gaped at me as I sat down on the bench beside him. My, how wonderful was it to be hiding in the shade again. Already, I could feel my heated fur cooling off as I made myself comfortable on the rugged bench. After I let out a relaxed yawn, I put on my working smile and turned toward my companion in the shade.

"Erm... who are you?"

My, he had such a strong, majestic voice. If he hasn't spoken in such a bewildered – sounding tone, I might've felt my heart go aflutter. Yet, even through his confused expression, I could tell he was a strong, powerful Pokémon. Chuckling, I placed a paw on my bow tie and bowed my head.

"You may call me Barie," I said as I held out my paw, "it's good to meet you, my friend."

"Erm..." that confounded expression did not leave his face, even as he plunked his hoof on top of my paw. "It's – erm – good to meet you too, Barie." I beamed at him as he yanked his hoof off my paw and averted his gaze from me. With an amused smirk, I looked away as well and covered my face with bow tie. My, for such a strong Pokémon, he seemed to be quite shy.

"I've never seen a Pokémon like you around town before," he muttered, shooting me a sideways glance, "were you a part of that big group of immigrants yesterday?"

"You're half – right, my friend," I said with a cheerful air. I held up my paw and twined my ribbon around it, "I only moved to this town just this morning."

"This morning, huh..." he let out a loud sigh as his head drooped back down. Another wave of blue came emanating from his heart, sending me a pleasant, cool breeze. He turned to face me as he asked another question, "You're... a Sylveon, right? It's my first time seeing one."

"That's right," I sent him a grin and pressed my paw against my bow tie, "you're also the first Tauros I've spoken to, so we're just about the same, wouldn't you say?"

"If you put it that way, I suppose that makes sense. Hrmphf."

A smile appeared on the doleful Tauros' face for the first time as he snorted. He stroked his fluffy mane with his hoof as he stared at me. I watched with a smile as his eyes traveled up and down my body. After he was satisfied with sizing me up, he snorted once more and said.

"The way you look... you don't seem like you're an explorer, Barie."

"Correct," I nodded as I straightened out my bow tie, "I'm much more of a stay at home, man the counter type of Pokémon. I can't imagine running around outside, getting my fur dirty and exhausting myself like that." I shook my head and winked, "It's just not in my nature."

"Hrmphf..." he made another snort as he stared at me out of astonishment. His hoof tapped against those shiny bumps on his forehead as he mumbled, "I'm surprised. Most Pokémon as young as you are come to Treasure Town to become explorers, not shopkeepers."

"My, I'm quite aware of that." I replied with a nod. The image of that darling little Snivy with the green bag came back into my mind as I mulled over Tauros' words. My ribbon curled around my paw as I tapped my forehead, smiling, "But it's just how I am, and I have no qualms about it."

"Hrmphf, you're an odd one," he muttered, stroking his mane.

"Now how about you, mister Tauros?" I asked in an innocent voice, "What is it that you do?"

"Wha –?" He looked a little taken aback from my question. I gave him a curious stare and scooted closer toward him on the bench. A smattering of red appeared on his hardy cheeks, making me feel a little amused.

"I – I don't do much of anything, really," he stammered as he fumbled around with his mane as he looked down at the ground, "I mean – I used to do something, but not anymore..."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow and tapped my tail eagerly against the bench. "And what could that 'something' be, I wonder?"

"Erm, well..."

I could feel hesitation emanating from the Tauros as he lifted his head. His eyes were staring at something far in the distance, across from where we were sitting. I followed his gaze and found myself staring at an old, rickety – looking caravan lying on its side. A wheel attached to the caravan spun idly as the heated summer wind fluttered its white canvas cover.

I've seen plenty of those caravans trundling around town as I walked around earlier. Most of them were being tugged by proud Bouffalant and Tauros. From what I can recall, the caravans carried building materials and other assorted supplies from other settlements around the frontier. Outside the frontier as well, now that I think about it. The city made a big showing of preparing their own caravan as a gesture of goodwill just a few days back. Not that anything happened with it in the end, but I digress.

"Is that your caravan?" I asked, prodding the Tauros in his thick hide with my paw. He made a muted grunt as he nodded.

"Mrphf... yeah," he muttered in a low voice, "it was mine just yesterday, but now..." He let out a loud, depressed sigh and shook his head.

"Is that why it's lying on the side like that?" I asked, staring at the spinning wheel, "It doesn't look like it's in the best shape. Did something happen to it?"

Describing it like that was an understatement. Even to my untrained eyes, I could tell that the caravan was in quite a dilapidated shape. The white tarp that served as the caravan's roof was covered in charred holes. The wooden frame also held similar – looking burn marks all over its body, and –with the exception of the one I was looking at– all of the wheels appeared to have lost their circular shape. Without a doubt, no matter how hard you pull it, that caravan would roll no more.

"Mrphf..." Tauros let out another depressed sigh as he dropped his horned head. "it's a bit of an embarrassing story..."

"Oh, don't you worry," I patted his back in a reassuring manner and smiled at him, "I wont tell anybody. Your embarrassing story is safe with this Sylveon."

"No, I don't mind if you tell people," Tauros grumbled with a shake of his head, "It's already common knowledge anyway..."

"If it was common, then I would've known about it, hm?"

"If you put it that way..." the sides of his muzzle rose up as a smile crawled onto his face. He shook his head one more time before leaning back against the rickety bench, making it droop down even more from his weight.

"I was a transporter, much like every other Tauros and Bouffalant working here in Treasure Town." He tapped his hooves against the gray bumps on his forehead before continuing, "We carry all sorts of heavy things in those caravans. Building materials, food, salable wares, and all sorts of other stuff. It's a traditional job for Pokémon like us."

He glanced at my expression and snorted, "Don't get me wrong, the pay is good and the work is rewarding. None of us have any qualms about it."

"I see," I said, nodding, "I can imagine a Pokémon as strong as you are enjoying this sort of work. My, my. You must be very proud of your strength, Tauros."

The handsome Tauros blushed once more as he waved his hooves at me, "N – no, I think I'm just average. I mean, I'm just as strong as any other Tauros or Bouffalant out there." He coughed into his hoof while I made a short, amused chuckle.

"So then, what could have happened yesterday that put you into this state?"

Tauros pointed a hoof at the caravan, drawing my attention toward the charred portions of the wreck. "I was hauling a load of lumber along with my fellow transporters yesterday. Everything seemed to be going well until we entered the town."

"Go on."

"Then everything went wrong," his hoof moved over to the top of the caravan and pointed at the blackened canvas. "all of a sudden, while the group was nearing the drop off point, four Pokémon leapt out of my caravan!"

"Hooh..." I made a meaningful hum as I covered my mouth with my bow tie. I shot a sideways glance at Tauros and muttered, "those Pokémon are what you call hitchhikers, hm?"

"Hitchhikers?" A plume of black smoke escaped Tauros' nostrils as his voice became harsher and louder, "They were nothing of the sort!" He flicked his head toward his broken down caravan and jabbed his hoof at it, fuming, "They were arsonists! Criminals! Fiends!"

"They burned down your caravan?" My eyes widened out of surprise as I stared at the raging Tauros, "My, what a bunch of ruffians. Why in the world would they do such a thing?"

He roared as he slammed his hoof into the bench. "How would I know?" His head swept from left to right in a frenzy as he complained into the air, "What I want to know is: why me?! Of all the caravans in the group, why did it have to be me?"

The bench creaked ominously as I felt myself be bounced up and down by the furious Pokémon's tantrum. He slammed his hooves to his sides, punching the poor bench and scattering chunks of white wood everywhere. One of his hooves struck dangerously close to me, forcing me to scoot a safe distance away from the raging Tauros.

"Hey now, calm down," I stretched out my ribbon and prodded him in the cheek, trying to get him to snap out of his rage, "I'm sorry to hear about your loss, Tauros, but don't take your anger out on public property!"

"Ergh..." another plume of black emitted from his nose as he glanced down, finally aware of what he was doing. Large hoofprints were embedded on the surface of the bench, making it look even more pitiful than before. A shameful expression appeared on his face as his hooves flopped down to his sides. He let out a loud sigh and shook his head before turning to face me.

"There's nothing for you to apologize about, Barie." He grunted as he brushed away a wood chipping that had jammed itself into his mane, "I just – I lost control of my anger again..."

"Again?" My ears perked up at the sound of that curious word. Now that I was sure that I wouldn't get a heavy hoof pounded into my face, I sidled back up to the Tauros' side and gave him an expectant look. "Have you lost your temper before, my friend?"

"Erm... yeah," he grumbled, "it's why I lost my job." His hoof went onto his face, covering his eyes as he groaned, "My boss went and chewed me out for not paying better attention to what kind of cargo I was carrying, and blamed the loss of my caravan all on me."

"I got mad. Who wouldn't? It was just so unfair..."

"I don't blame you," I said, nodding, "I know how it feels to work under somebody strict. You must have felt awful when that happened, my friend."

"Awful doesn't even begin to describe it," he grumbled, "I almost destroyed the entire transporter's depot in my anger. I don't know how many tables, boxes, and walls I broke into pieces with these... heh."

Grinning, he reached up with his hoof and tapped them against his sharp horns. I gave him a low, admiring whistle as he swished his head around, letting the sunlight glint off his head.

"I shouldn't be proud of it," his grin slipped off his face almost immediately afterward as he drooped his head back down, "I did a really stupid thing that day. No wonder I lost my job... no wonder she's avoiding me..."

"'She?'" I tilted my head to the side, curiosity welling up inside me. I edged closer to the Tauros, pressing myself against his coarse fur and smiling up at his face that was now aflush with red. "Who could this lovely lady be, my friend?"

"Erm...!" All of a sudden, he let out a loud snort and sprung off the bench. The creaky wood rebounded and bounced up like a trampoline, flinging me into the air.

With a delicate air, I landed on the ground on all fours. Using my ribbons, I brushed off the stray specks of dirt and dust on my paws before turning back to the red – faced Tauros with a bright smile on my face.

"My, that was quite a reaction, mister Tauros," I narrowed my eyes as I widened my smile, "I wonder what it could mean?"

"I – it's nothing, forget what I said!" He said in a shrill voice, shaking his rapidly – reddening face at me. Seeing his flustered look made me feel even more suspicious. I held my bow tie over my face, obscuring my growing amusement.

I thought back to when I first noticed Tauros, when he was standing in the corner of the inn. At that time, his eyes kept flickering between the crowd and a certain someone in the lobby. A certain someone that was sitting at the desk...

"My, my... could that delightful lady be little Senia, by any chance?" I said in a muffled voice.

"Mrphf?!" Tauros took a step back, his eyes wide and his nostrils flared. Did I hit the bullseye? He began to pace around in place, kicking up a cloud of dust beneath him as he mumbled something under his breath. The Tauros kept looking away from me, his eyes determined to stare at anything other than my pink – colored visage.

"Hm," I sat down on the ground as I rubbed my chin with my paw, "that's quite interesting. Though, I can't imagine little Senia hating you. She only dislikes rude Pokémon, and you're far from rude, my friend."

"N – no, it's not lil' Sennie!" He shouted in that same shrill voice, looking as though he was in a panic. "I – It's not!"

"'Sennie?'" I echoed, tilting my head to the side. "If it's not little 'Sennie,' then who could it be?"

"Erm!" He must've realized the magnitude of what he just said. The embarrassed Tauros turned away and clamped his mouth shut tight. Looks like I wont be getting anymore direct information from him.

My, my, how amusing. It's been far too long since I've done this sort of thing. Seeing his flustered expression was quite a delight, though I shouldn't say that to his face. My interest in his predicament, however, was genuine. I could feel the distress emanating from his heart as he floundered in front of me.

I held my bow tie up to my mouth once more as I pondered who this mystery woman could be. If it wasn't Senia, then who else would fit the puzzle? This Tauros, the way he referred to little Senia by such an affectionate nickname... aha. Perhaps...

"My friend, could you be speaking of Senia's mother?"

Bingo.


	4. Chesto Tea

**• ****  
****Consultation 4  
**

**Chesto Tea  
**

* * *

I am no stranger to seeing blushing faces in my line of work, whether it be glowing cheeks from darling ladies or smatterings of pink from dashing gentlemen. However, I must admit, this is the first time I've seen somebody as strong and muscular as mister Tauros here display such a glorious, illuminating blush across his entire face.

It's rather impressive, I mused. Even as I stand here – quite a distance away from his face I might add – I could feel the heat from his searing – hot cheeks wash over me as if it were a desert wind. A musky scent wafted out from his mane, filling my nose with a rather peculiar scent. A nervous sweat, perhaps? My, how intriguing! However, it is still quite a pungent odor, so I took a step back and covered my nose.

"W – what do you mean by Senni– Senia's m – mother?" Tauros stammered, "I – I don't know what you're t – talking about, mrphf!"

"One moment," I held up my paw at him as I wrapped one of my ribbons around my face – around my nose, specifically. My other three ribbons tied themselves tight around my ear and legs, muffling my senses. There was no reason to keep using my powers in this situation; it was all clear to my eyes anyway.

"Alright, now then," my voice came out a little muffled and nasal – sounding, but it was a small price to pay to avoid that cloying smell.

"If it's not little Senia, then it must be someone connected to her, hm?" I covered my mouth with my bow tie – moreso out of trying to block the intensifying musk from entering my mouth than anything else. "Although I don't know much about that darling little Kangaskhan, I don't think I'm wrong for assuming that her mother would be the closest link to her."

I glanced over at Tauros. He was fumbling around with his hooves, stampeding the dirt while still standing in the same place. His blazing – hot head was trembling, and his eyes were glancing every which way in a desperate attempt to avoid my prying gaze.

"I could be wrong, of course," I said, "such an adorable little girl like Senia must have plenty of friends."

"N – no, you're wrong..." He murmured in response.

"Oh? That's quite interesting, my friend." I tapped my muzzle with my paw, mulling over this tidbit of information, "She seems like quite the outgoing, friendly little darling. I'd imagine she'd have plenty of friends her age."

"Mrphf... it's not that she doesn't have any friends," Tauros muttered, still looking a little downcast, "it's that she's constantly helping out Hestia at the Inn, so she rarely goes out to play."

"Hestia? My, could that be her mother's name?"

A massive plume of black smoke erupted from his mouth as he recoiled in utter shock. He took a few heavy steps backward and clamped his mouth shut, evidently afraid that he might reveal another curious tidbit about the Kangaskhan family.

"So the mother's name is Hestia, and the daughter is Senia..." I mused out loud. I pointed my paw at Tauros and smiled, "you must be a very close friend of theirs to know both of their names – as well as being able to call little Senia 'Sennie.'"

My guess struck dead center. Tauros' entire body stiffened as he emanated an intense wave of nervousness. Even though I was stifling my abilities, I could still feel the sheer weight behind his emotions. If I were to describe that sensation, it would like if I was struck by a numbing bolt of lightning.

"Erpfh!" He clamped his large, flat – bottomed teeth down on his bottom lip. With a derisive snort, he spun around and gave me a good view of his three – tailed behind. I glanced around his heavy frame, taking a look at his face. His eyes were shut, and his mouth was shut even tighter. It appears as though he was done with talking for now.

"So then, when you say that 'she' was avoiding you..." I smiled as I saw his eyes snap open at my words, "I am assuming that – because of that unfortunate incident yesterday – one of the two ladies at the inn are now sour with you, my friend?"

My smile grew ever wider as I continued on with my theory, "And since you said that it wasn't 'lil' Sennie,' then am I correct in thinking that it must be her mother, Hestia?"

Well, I suppose that means I've hit the mark right on the head once again. Those two hard, muscular cheeks of his were also redder than burning coals, and – much like burning coals – black smoke was spewing forth from his nostrils and the sides of his mouth.

"My..." I took another step back, keeping my distance from that acrid plume of black, "are you alright, my friend?"

"I – I..." He stammered, grunting and releasing more smoke. Then, all of a sudden, he reared back on his hind legs, forcing me to take a quick step back out of shock. His mouth opened wide and he bellowed at me, "I told you! I don't know what you're talking about!"

As if to punctuate his statement, Tauros slammed his front hooves deep into the ground. My paws jittered as a small earthquake rushed toward me, throwing me off balance just a tad. Dirt and sand came flying up from the ground, swirling around the Tauros' feet. On instinct, my ribbons flew forth and whipped around me, preventing the dust from getting on my fur.

Tauros continued to punish the ground, striking at the dirt over and over again with his hooves until the land in front of him was filled with U – shaped craters. As I kept my distance from the raging Tauros, I held my bow tie up to my mouth and mulled over the current situation.

Perhaps I've gone a little bit too far with my questioning. This wasn't the outcome I was expecting, no, not at all. A stray pebble came flying toward my face. On instinct, one of my ribbons flew up and caught it before it struck me in the cheek.

I looked down at the rough little pebble in my grasp and shook my head. This was no way for a professional to act. Not at all.

"Haaah... haah..." Tauros' rampage halted with his mouth open wide, panting into his own self – dug crater. It looked as though he was beginning to cool off; the red coloration in his cheeks were draining, returning the shade of his ruddy face back to its original dull brown.

"Tauros," I said as I dropped the pebble back on to the ground, "are you calm now?"

"Mrphf...!"

I froze as his eyes flicked up at me, chilling my body with a rage – filled glare. Every single nerve in my body was telling me that I was walking toward danger, and that I should scarper instead of staying here any longer. I ignored my inner screams and put on a brave face. If I ran away now, it would reflect badly on both Tauros and myself.

If I were to call myself a true professional, I must stay and fix my own problems.

"Look, Tauros," I sat down on the ground with my ribbons unraveled and my paws held out to my sides. I tilted my head and looked the angry Pokémon in the eye, "You said that Hest– someone is avoiding you now because of your anger. How will raging about it now make it any different from before?"

A flicker of surprise flitted across his furious features, widening his eyes and loosening his muscles.

"I shouldn't have tried to pry into your personal business like that," I shook my head and held my paw on my bow tie, "I admit that I was being too intrusive, and insensitive."

With my head bowed, I took a step back and said, "However, I think it would be best if we both have a little talk. "

"Mrphf..." He lifted his head up from the ground and looked down at me from up high, "a... talk? Is that all you want?"

"Nothing more than a little chat between friends," I replied, waving my paw around, "of course, it's up to you whether or not you want to indulge me. I wont mind if you wish to simply leave, my friend."

Tauros' head drooped down again. The black smoke ceased to emit from his mouth as he mulled over my words. Then, after a moment of silent thought, he looked back up at me and nodded. A smile came onto my face as I took a seat on the blistering hot ground and nodded back at him.

"Maybe..." he murmured, looking a little shamefaced, "maybe what I need is a little time to cool off..."

"How about we take a walk then?" I suggested again, smiling, "Preferably over to somewhere with a little more shade."

* * *

The two of us made out to be quite an unusual sight for the residents of the town, I'd imagine. A large, bulky Pokémon like Tauros walking alongside a slim, slender Sylveon such as I must've drawn the attention of several curious onlookers. However, as much as I enjoyed attracting the attention of others, I had something much more important to be distracted by.

"Hestia and I... we were old friends back in the day."

As we walked through the jam – packed streets of Treasure Town, I kept my ears trained on Tauros as he spoke about his circumstances. Perhaps he was afraid of being overheard, as his voice was quieter than a sneaking Purrloin. It took quite a bit of concentration for me to even make out his words through the hustle and bustle of the townspeople.

"She always held this dream to open up her own inn," Tauros murmured, "she would spend hours, and hours talking about it. Drawing out floor plans, pondering over what kinds of rooms the guests would have, and detailing all sorts of stuff that I couldn't understand."

"Kangaskhan sounds like an incredible Pokémon to have thought up all of that by herself," I said in an admiring tone, "it's little surprise to me now as to how successful her inn is."

Tauros let out a snort filled with pride and said with a puffed out chest, "Of course. Hestia's incredible when it comes to fulfilling her goals. She's strong, determined, and most of all, smart! There's no Pokémon better for the job!"

"Oh...?" My smile became sly as I narrowed my eyes at my proud – looking companion, "Then what was your role in all of this? You were her friend, were you not?"

"Erm..." Tauros appeared to deflate as his voice returned back to its original dull tone, "I... I didn't do anything."

"What does that mean, my friend?"

Tauros sighed and muttered, "Her dreams... it all felt incredible and larger than anything I've ever heard of before."

"I'm just a simple Tauros. All I do is draw caravans and transport goods around town. For all my life, I've never imagined doing anything more than that."

"I see," I held my ribbon under my chin as I processed his words.

"When Hestia came and asked me to help her run the inn, I was... afraid."

"Afraid?"

Tauros gave me a slow nod, "I'm just a Tauros. At the time, helping my friend run her inn was unthinkable to me. To do something other than draw caravans... it was a new and foreign concept to the me of the past."

"But she was your friend, wasn't she?" I inquired, "How did you respond?"

"I... I ran away."

"You what?!"

My voice came out much louder than I intended. Surprised bystanders from all around us stopped in their tracks to stare at us with curious eyes. I shook my head and quickly prodded Tauros in the side, gesturing for him to move away from the crowd with my eyes. He nodded and the two of us sped up our gait, leaving a group of questioning Pokémon behind us.

Once we were a fair distance away from all the prying eyes, I turned toward Tauros and apologized, "Sorry about that. You just surprised me with what you said."

Tauros grunted and muttered back at me, "I know," he let out a large sigh and added, "I know what I said was pathetic, especially for a Tauros."

"I never said you were pathetic," I retorted, "you're not pathetic for acting like that, my friend. If anything, I'm more curious about why you ran away instead."

"Why?" He grumbled, "It was because I was a coward. That's why."

"A coward?"

He shook his head and made a wry chuckle, "I was afraid of messing up in front of my friend. All I knew then was how to pull and transport, not how to run an inn." Tauros raised his head up into the air and snorted, "But I suppose what I was really afraid of... was breaking Hestia's dream."

"And why is that?" I asked.

"Back then, when I ran away from her, I kept thinking to myself," Tauros tapped his forehead with his hooves and mumbled, "what if I broke everything? What if I got angry and scared away her guests? What if I hurt somebody?"

Tauros turned toward me, his eyes shining with horror and despair, "You saw me lose my temper then, Barie. I know... I know I can be destructive when I get mad. It terrifies me to imagine one day, I lost control and went on a rampage in her beloved inn. Can you understand how horrible it would be?"

"If you put it that way..." I shook my head and covered my mouth with my bow tie, "Then I can understand your reasoning behind running away that day."

"You see?" He said with a tone of dejected triumph, "That's why... that's why I can't do anything other than pulling caravans."

"But now, you can't even do that, can you?"

"Erphf–!" His eyes opened up in shock while a plume of black erupted from his nostrils. For a moment, I thought he was about to begin raging again. But then, his head fell down as he let out a dejected sigh, "You're right... I can't even do that. It's all because of my anger... that's why Hestia hates me..."

"And so, here we are," I patted him on the side with my ribbons, "Tauros, I don't believe what you're saying is true."

"Muh?" He glanced at me, looking confused, "What do you mean? You saw me get mad! You saw me rampage back there at the lots!"

"No, no," I shook my head, "you're mistaken, my friend. What I meant was, I don't believe Hestia would hate you because of your anger, my friend."

"How do you know that?" He said with a suspicious tone.

I chuckled and waved my paw in the air, "My friend, you told me that Hestia was the one who asked you to help with her inn, right?"

Tauros nodded, but his face still showed a little bewilderment.

"And – being that the two of you were old friends – she would know about your anger issues, wouldn't she?"

"She... of course she does," Tauros sighed, "back then, whenever I lost mad and started to rampage, Hestia would always stop me and calm me down by slamming me in the face with a heavy punch."

"Erk..." I blanched while my ribbon flew up to my own cheek out of sympathy, "that's... effective, I suppose."

Tauros made an amused chuckle and smiled, "It was. Whenever she knocked me onto my side, I would look up and see her glaring down at me." He shook his head, "To tell you the truth, it wasn't her punch that cooled me off. It was the sight of Hestia frustrated at me."

"A lady's gaze is far more effective than anything else," I mused. "It sounds to me like Kangaskhan was very skilled in calming you down. Or at least very used to dealing with you, my friend."

"We've been friends for as long as I can remember," Tauros replied, "I suppose she must be used to my rampages."

I chuckled and whipped my ribbons around my paw as I held it up in front of Tauros' face, halting him in his tracks.

"And therein lies the answer." I stated with a prideful voice.

"The... answer?"

Taking advantage of his confusion, I trotted forward and sat down in front of his puzzled face. Smiling wide, I pulled on my bow tie and straightened it out.

"Kangaskhan's your old friend," I said, "therefore, she probably already knows all about your... tendencies. But even so, she still wanted you to help her with her dream, regardless of whatever trouble you think you might cause."

"But I –"

"Regardless, I said." I smiled as I cut him off, "And as you've just told me. She's... quite used to controlling your temper tantrums, is she not?"

Tauros nodded at me with two red spots glowering on his cheeks. With a chuckle, I waved my paw in front of his face and continued.

"Then it's simple to assume that Kangaskhan believed that, even if you were to someday lose your temper, she could stop you and calm you down before anything too drastic happened."

My bow tie went up to my mouth as I hid my smirk, "After all, it sounds like she is quite strong. Strong enough to knock down a rampaging Tauros."

"Erphf...!"

With a shocked – sounding snort, Tauros took a step back and gaped at me with those sharp eyes of his.

"Who knows?" I shook my head as I closed my eyes, "Maybe if you hadn't run away that day, things might not have turned out quite as disastrous as you would've imagined."

"But..." Tauros shook his head and took a deep breath. He stared at me, the light in his eyes wavering, "even if you say that now, it's too late. Years have already gone past since that day... and the last time I saw her, was yesterday. When I was raging at my boss for taking away the only thing I knew how to do."

Tauros made a humorless chuckle and said in a choked voice, "I was furious, I got mad at everything and everyone. I thought it was unfair that such a thing happened to me, and I couldn't think straight." He pointed his hoof at his head, "Even when Hestia appeared, the only greeting I could give my old friend were angry swears and shouts before I ran away."

"I see..."

"It wasn't until hours later that I calmed down. When I could finally think straight, I was horrified by what I've done."

He hung his head low and began to make low, gasping sounds. I quickly held my ribbons beside his face, catching his tears and wiping his eyes.

"H – how could I have said such things to my old friend?" Tauros grunted as he wept, "I was so mad... mad at myself for being such an idiot! I even felt like throwing myself off the plateau, just because of how stupid I acted!"

"Hey now," I frowned as I wiped away another wave of tears, "don't speak like that. You're helping nobody."

"I... I wanted to apologize. I wanted to make amends to Hestia today..." Tauros sniffled and shook his head, "so I waited in her inn since the morning, hoping she would be by the desk as she usually was."

"Hm..." I withdrew my ribbons and flicked off the tears, "but the only Pokémon at the receptionist's desk today was her daughter, right?"

Tauros nodded, "I waited, and waited, and waited... but Hestia never showed up. Up until now, it was only little Sennie at the desk." He drooped his head down again and muttered, "I thought... I thought that Hestia was avoiding me. We haven't seen each other in so long... and the first time we meet in years, I..."

"Is she though?" I muttered back at him. His wet eyes stared at me as he lifted his head back up. My friend let out a loud, dejected snort and put on dejected – looking smile.

"She has to be," he said in a blunt voice, "Hestia would never leave her inn without good reason. Why else would she be gone from the desk?"

"Well, I can think of a few reasons," I smiled back at Tauros and flicked my head to the left, "but, I believe it would be faster if we asked the source. Don't you?"

"Mrphf?" Tauros' gaze followed my own as we both turned to our left. I felt my smile widen as my brown – furred friend made an outrageous, startled shout. Of course, one can't really blame him for being surprised. After all, the two of us were now standing before the ever – so – homely Kangaskhan's Inn.

"H – how, when..?!"

With a chuckle, I placed my paw on top of the inn's swinging doors, ready to push it open. However, as I felt the sun – heated wood beneath my fur, an odd sense of danger shot through my body. My ribbons flew to my sides, and my fur began to bristle. There was a strong, powerful emotion emanating from within the inn, and it forced me to freeze in place out of fear.

_Thump, thump, thump...!_

A series of loud, ground – shaking sounds erupted from beyond the entrance, and getting louder by the second. My instincts told me to let go of the door right this instant, otherwise something life – threatening might occur. Without sparing a second, I let go and sprung to the side.

_Wham!_

Unfortunately, I forgot that they were swinging doors. An unbelievable, and rather unbearable pain shot through my body as I found myself sandwiched between the door and the wall. As the door swung back to its original position, I had to wonder. Was that creaking noise made by the door's hinges, or my aching bones?

"Brahm!" A husky, feminine voice rang out into the air as my poor body slid down the wall. "Oh Brahm, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"H – Hestia...!"

As I rubbed away the stinging sensation burning away in my legs and cheeks with my ribbons, I forced myself back onto my legs. Shaking my head, I opened my eyes just a sliver and turned around. Through my unfocused, star – filled vision, I spotted a large, brown blur backing up while an upright blur was advancing on it.

"Do you have any idea – any idea at all – how worried I was after what you did yesterday?"

Oh. I suppose that must be Kangaskhan. It fits Tauros' description of her, no doubt.

"H – Hestia, I'm so –"

_Wham!_

Whatever it was my friend was about to say was quickly interrupted by a loud, cringeworthy sound. Tauros' blurry silhouette was sent tumbling to the ground, rustling up a large cloud of dust and gravel. Kangaskhan stood over him, her fist outstretched and her chest heaving out of exertion.

"...woah...!"

"...incredible punch..."

"...mommy, is he okay?"

"...don't look!"

As usual for this town, the spectacular scene of a Kangaskhan slamming her fist into a Tauros drew a rowdy, curious crowd of onlookers. I took my numb paws and rubbed my eyes, clearing away my starry vision. Indeed, it was just as I expected. My Tauros friend was lying on his side with his cheek dented and his eyes spinning inside of his skull.

I meandered over to the stunned Tauros and prodded him in his thick hide, "My friend, are you alright?"

"Bluh..."

Well, not the response I was hoping for. But it was a response, nonetheless.

"Who are you?"

I turned around at the behest of that strong, gruff voice. A lump formed in my throat as I felt an icy tingle go down my back. Standing before me was a Pokémon that radiated with an aura that I could only describe as 'utterly terrifying.' Kangaskhan had her muscular arms folded above the wide pouch above her belly as she gazed down upon me like a Braviary seeking out its prey.

"Err... I'm..." It was the first time in a while I found myself lacking the ability to speak. The sheer, intimidating aura that this Pokémon was emanating were forcing my words to go down my throat rather than up and out.

"Are you Brahm's friend?" She demanded, glaring at me with sharp, threatening eyes.

Her voice had a strange, compelling quality to it. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't have believed it for a second if someone had told me she was a simple innkeeper.

I was terrified of what might happen to me if I stayed silent, so I choked out an answer, "Er... yes, I suppose I am..."

"Were you with him earlier?" Her eyes narrowed as she jabbed a clawed finger at me.

Once more, her commanding aura drove the words in my mouth down and into the pit of my stomach. Instead, I replied with a meek nod.

"Then tell me," her gaze left me and landed on the still – dizzy Tauros behind me. "Where was my idiot of a friend hiding?"

"He... he wasn't really hiding, per se," I said in a quiet voice, "in fact, I'd say he was doing the opposite."

I flinched as she turned back to face me, "What do you mean by that, Sylveon?"

I coughed into my paw and looked away from her burning eyes. Covering my mouth with my bow tie, I mumbled my answer back to her.

"I can't hear you."

"I said–" I paused to swallow a nervous gulp, "I said: I think it's better if he told you himself, miss."

"Oh?" Kangaskhan let out a derisive snort and unfolded her arms. With a heavy stomp, she trudged past me and bent down over the probably – unconscious Tauros. For a wild moment, I thought she was going to slap him awake. But instead, she leaned down and wrapped her arms around his thick frame.

To my utter astonishment, the Kangaskhan lifted up the bulky Tauros without any effort at all. I watched, awed, as she hefted his tremendous bulk onto her back as if he were nothing more than a sack of beans. Then, she turned toward the entrance to the inn. But, before she returned through the swinging doors, her head turned around to glare at me.

"You're coming too," she said, flicking her head toward the doors, "I'd like to know who you are."

Without even waiting for my answer, she turned back toward the swinging doors and strode on through, leaving me stunned in the middle of the street. I sat down and held my bow tie over my mouth. My mind was buzzing as I mulled over what had just happened.

While that wasn't what I quite had in mind when I brought the unwitting Tauros back to the inn, I suppose it had the same result in the end. Although, I must admit I pitied my poor friend. My ribbon fluttered up to my face as I rubbed my right cheek out of sympathy. That punch he took... it must have been very devastating. I didn't even want to imagine how it would feel if I was on the receiving end of such a blow.

"My..." I shook my head and let go of my cheek. Chuckling, I stretched out my numbed legs and let my ribbons curl themselves back around my ears. As I meandered over to the swinging doors, I mused to myself, "what an interesting turn of events..."

* * *

As I reentered the inn, the first thing I noticed was that the atmosphere was a bit more subdued than earlier. Not many Pokémon were speaking. In fact, most of them had their jaws hanging open, looking as though they were struck dumb by something. Well, it wasn't hard to figure out what that something was. It was standing right in the middle of the lobby, after all.

"Senia, mommy will be busy for a while," Kangaskhan said in a kind, soothing voice. It was a jarring contrast to the harsh, furious tone she had used with Tauros and I outside. "do you mind watching the desk for a little longer, sweetie? Mommy wont be gone for long."

Little Senia smiled and clapped her claws together, "I don't mind at all, mommy! Take your time!"

Kangaskhan gave her daughter a warm smile and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. "Thank you, sweetie. I'll get you some ice cream later as a reward."

"Yay! Thanks, mommy!"

I couldn't help but gawk at the odd, unbelivable scene playing out before me. A Kangaskhan was treating her daughter in a loving, affectionate manner with a big, stunned Tauros slung over her shoulder.

"Now then," Kangaskhan turned her head around to face me, "would you mind following me to the back room?"

"Very well, miss," I said, nodding my head.

Kangaskhan sent a nod back to me and readjusted her hold on Tauros. Then, she turned around and strode across the center of the lobby, leaving a trail of stunned onlookers in her wake. As I followed after the magnificent hostess, I waved my ribbons at little Senia and gave her a smile. To my delight, the dutiful daughter smiled back at me and waved.

I followed Kangaskhan toward the back of the inn, past a wide, curtained doorway and into a rather deserted – looking hallway. I assumed that this was an area that was considered off – limits to the public. At the end of the hallway was a single door. With a grunt, Kangaskhan pushed the door open and move herself and her unconscious baggage with her through it.

Of course, I entered in after them.

Past the door was a rather welcoming sight. It appeared to be a living room of sorts. Without a doubt, this must be the personal living space of Kangaskhan and her daughter. A large, wooden table dominated the center of the room while three different – sized sofas surrounded it. Several well – painted pictures hung on the wooden walls, displaying Kangaskhan, Senia and even some with Tauros.

Fancy counters and end – tables lined the sides of the room. I was a little impressed by how high – quality the furniture looked as well as how well – maintained they were. Large, silky covers protected the surfaces of the tables and counters, preventing even a single speck of dust from marring the beautiful wood.

Kangaskhan trudged over to one of the larger sofas and threw Tauros down onto it. Poor Tauros let out a pitiful groan as he wriggled his legs while lying on the soft cushions. As she dusted her claws off, Kangaskhan moved away from the sofa and toward one of the counters by the side of the room.

"Take a seat, I'll make you some tea."

At Kangaskhan's behest, I sat myself down on the smallest sofa across from the moaning Tauros. My eyes drifted around, taking in the delightful atmosphere of the living room. Kangaskhan was standing at one of the counters, holding a teapot and a kettle of steaming water. A wonderful fragrance drifted into the air as she poured the boiling water into the pot.

"My, could you be brewing Chesto by any chance?" I asked, recognizing the smell, "Quite an unusual choice of berry, miss, if you don't mind me saying."

"Just call me Hestia," Kangaskhan said brusquely as she turned toward me. She held the teapot in her claw and asked, "and how did you know? I didn't even tell you what I was using!"

I chuckled and straightened out my bow tie, "As a barista, recognizing scents and flavors is all a part of my job, mis – I mean, Hestia."

"Barista...?" Hestia wore a confused look as she brought the steaming teapot over to the big table in between Tauros and I.

"That's correct," I said as she began to pour the blue – colored drink into cups, "I work behind the counter, brewing drinks and assorted refreshments for my customers."

"Drinks, hm?" She said as she handed me a saucer and a cup filled with the fragrant tea, "Could you be a part of that odd group of Pokémon that came in earlier today?"

"Ah, you mean Spinda?" I took a sip of the dry, powdery – tasting tea as the Kangaskhan nodded. A tingling feeling went through my body as I swallowed the hot drink, shooing away whatever tiredness I had and leaving me feeling rather energized. Such is the effect of a Chesto Berry, of course.

Chesto Berries, despite possessing very little juice and having a texture equivalent to a combination of gravel and sandpaper, make a surprising good ingredient for tea. When ground into a fine powder, one can then boil it within heated water to draw out the true flavor of the berry. Which, I might add, is a very delightful and delicious experience.

However, getting the innate flavor of a Chesto Berry to reveal itself from its dry and unwelcoming shell is a laborious, finicky process. Prior to the boiling process, one must be sure to keep the teapot at the same temperature of the room it is in. Then, the brewer must add in the right amount of powder in conjunction to how much water is present within the pot. Finally, the water must be kept at a boil for an approximate twenty – five to twenty – seven minutes before serving.

When done incorrectly, the tea will come out tasting like... well, sandpaper and gravel. Although, it will still possess the superb energizing effects of a Chesto Berry, just without the delightful flavour. It might smell nice, but the taste leaves much to be desired. Much like this cup of tea here. Though, I suppose it would be prudent to keep that part to myself.

"That's right," Hestia said, "that odd Pokémon came up to me this morning, and asked to reserve the stage in the lounge. Said it was for something important."

"It is quite important for us," I replied after taking another sip of tea, "we just moved into this town. We need as much exposure for our business as possible."

"So you're running a new business?" She said as she filled up a large, steel mug with the teapot, "I'm afraid I missed that big show your group put on earlier in the lounge. Would you mind telling me about it?"

My, this was a refreshing change of pace. Although I was still worried about Tauros' condition, I couldn't help but feel relieved at the lack of anger in Hestia's voice. I drained the rest of my tea and placed my teacup down on its saucer. On instinct, my paw flew up to my bow tie as my working smile appeared on my face.

"Very well," I spoke in my professional's voice as I directed my smile toward my hostess, "I am the barista, the bartender and overall drinksmaster of Spinda's Cafe. You may call me Barie." My ribbons fluttered to my sides as I closed my eyes, "Spinda's Cafe provides refreshments and entertainment for guests of all ages. Drinks, meals, shows, you name it, we provide it."

"A cafe, hm?" Hestia took her steel mug and swished it around, "That's interesting. We have plenty of restaurants and food stalls here in Treasure Town, but never a cafe. That's more a city thing, isn't it?"

"That's right. Our group arrived here in Treasure Town early this morning from Unity City."

"I see, so you're from the city!" The Kangaskhan laughed in a jovial manner as she pressed the edge of the mug over Tauros' mouth, "I'm surprised! We don't see many city folk around here in Treasure Town!"

"Not many city folk are that interested in the frontier, Hestia," I said as I waved my paw around in the air, "For the most part, they're more content with staying cooped up in the city rather than moving out."

"Well, that makes your group all the more unique, ha, ha!"

I chuckled along with Hestia as she tipped the contents of the mug into Tauros' mouth. Within seconds of that dry tea entering his mouth, Tauros' eyes sprung wide open. With a loud snort, the brown – furred Pokémon sat up straight on the sofa and glanced around him in a panicky fashion.

"Wha– who– whe– how– huh?"

Incomprehensible words spewed out of Tauros' mouth in quick succession. Hestia let out a loud sigh as she took what was left of the tea in the mug and downed it. Then, she slammed the mug onto the table, making me jump at the loud _thump!_ that resounded through the room.

"H – Hestia?!" Tauros' head snapped toward the Kangaskhan, whose angry expression from before had returned. "T – this place is... your home? What am I doing in here?"

"I brought you here," Kangaskhan said as she sat herself down onto the remaining vacant couch. She folded her arms across her chest and sent a frosty stare at Tauros, "you're not running away from me this time, Brahm. I'm going to hear the full story, and that's final."


	5. Brahm & Hestia

**• ****  
****Consultation 5  
**

**Brahm and Hestia  
**

* * *

They say that Tauros are strong, courageous Pokémon that would never back down in the face of adversity. Before one would even feel the slightest twinge of fear, a Tauros would instead be consumed by fury and rampage until whatever it was that was stupid enough to spook them was smashed into the ground and reduced into a fine powder. It's a rather interesting – if not brutal – method of combating one's fears, though it isn't one that I'd adopt.

However, as of right now, I find myself doubting that belief. The sight of my Tauros friend with a face paler than sun – bleached stone was enough to wipe that thought out of my mind. Though, to be fair, I couldn't blame him. Even though I wasn't the target of her ire, the sheer force and enmity being exuded from Kangaskhan's glare was enough to make a shudder run through my spine.

"F – full story? Whatever do you m – mean, Hestia?"

Bless him, he's trying so hard to put on a brave front, and yet, he just cannot hide how his voice was cracking like a Roseli Berry's shell. Of course, such an obvious display of fear didn't elude Kangaskhan. One of her eyebrows rose as she tapped her claw against her chin, making a quiet _tink, tink,_ noise as it clattered against her scales.

"G – gee, I wonder w – what time it is!" Tauros' eyes flew all around the room in a deliberate attempt to avoid his lady friend's suspicious glare, "I think I might have to g – go to work! Those caravans wont pull themselves, you know!"

With that horrid attempt at a lie, Tauros dragged himself off the sofa and staggered back onto his hooves. He put on an over – enthusiastic smile on his face and glanced at me, "S – so, I'll be off now! It was nice m – meeting you Barie...!" He gave me a frantic nod and spun around to face the door. He looked as though he had every intention to charge out of the room and stampede away into the sunset.

_Wham!_

It was like a violent explosion had just gone off in the middle of the living room. The teacups, pictures on the wall and even some of the tables and chairs were jittering from the quake. Both Tauros and I turned toward Kangaskhan, our heads creaking as if our necks were made from wood. Speaking of wood, there now appeared to be splinters scattered all around the floor. The reason?

"Hold it, Brahm. You're not getting away like that."

Kangaskhan lifted up her right fist, carrying with it a veritable deluge of wood chippings. The armrest of her sofa was obliterated, reduced to nothing more than a pile sawdust and fabric. A lump formed in my throat as I watched her leave her seat with the dignity and presence of a monarch rising from her throne.

She stomped over to Tauros, leaving deep, feet – shaped imprints in the wooden floor behind her. Poor Tauros was petrified, unable to move or speak as the terrifying matriarch of the inn bore upon him. When Kangaskhan reached his shivering form, she fired out her muscular arm like a cannon. Her claws dug deep into his wooly mane, letting her pull their faces close to each others'.

"H – hey!" Feeling concerned for my friend's well – being (again), I leapt from my seat and took a step toward them. However, all I managed to accomplish was that one step. Kangaskhan's head turned toward me, and fired a paralyzing glare right at my face. Once I caught sight of her sharpened gaze, I felt the muscles in my body stiffen into wooden boards.

"Brahm."

While her gaze was enough to freeze me in place, her cool, chilled voice was on another level of frightening. A glacier formed inside my gut as Kangaskhan's attention was returned to her captive, who – judging by the expression on his face – looked as though he also just had a massive chunk of ice materialize inside his stomach.

"What caravan... are you talking about?"

Every word she spoke felt like a hammer slamming down onto a nail, or in this case, on Tauros.

"Y – you know... m – my caravan..." Tauros attempted to look away from Kangaskhan, but she just returned his attention to her by twisting him around by his mane. Unable to escape, Tauros swallowed the lump in his throat and shuddered.

Kangaskhan snorted and dropped Tauros onto the floor, where he collapsed into a brown – colored heap. She folded her arms above him and said, "You mean that smoldering heap of ash in the outskirts of town? That caravan?"

Oh dear.

"H – Hestia, how... you knew?" Tauros' eyes flew wide as his body froze. The terrified expression on his face was replaced by a look of utter surprise and shock.

"Oh, was it meant to be a secret?" Kangaskhan let out a humorless chuckle as she reached down and took a hold of his mane again. She yanked him back onto his hooves and dusted off his fur as she continued to speak, "If it was, then it wasn't very well hidden."

"B – but," Tauros tried to interrupt, but Kangaskhan just clamped her paw over his mouth and snapped it shut.

"You think you can keep secrets from me, your oldest friend?" Kangaskhan snarled, "Don't be ridiculous, Brahm!"

I winced as Kangaskhan slammed her forehead into his, sending a loud crashing noise resounding into the living room. The two of them were staring into each others' eyes, unmoving. A dangerous vibe was spread out all around the place – dangerous enough to make my nerves begin to tingle with nervousness.

Silence filled the air as the two of them continued to stay in that position, with neither of them budging a single inch. A wild thought ran through my mind, telling me to try and separate them before it becomes anymore dangerous than it already is. However, as I prepared to move toward the antagonistic pair, an odd feeling made me pause in my steps.

It was an emotion – a strong one at that. On instinct, I unfurled my ribbons around my body and let them hover in the air. I trawled around, looking for the source of this warm feeling. Could it have been from a new visitor? No, there was no one else around. Then, if it wasn't from me, then it had to have been from one of the two over there...

"Have you... have you any idea how worried I was...?"

Surprise filled me as I uncovered the source of that warmth. Like a fountain of love, Kangskhan's entire being was radiating an incredible amount of affection and emotion. And yet, all of that was only visible to me. On the outside, the powerful mistress of the inn looked just as intimidating and uncompromising as before.

"How do you think I felt.." Kangaskhan's voice had lowered to a quiet growl. It was her turn to shudder – her large body was trembling with every word she spoke, "when I heard that a fire broke out amongst the caravans yesterday?"

Ah, I see. It was all clear to me now. My ribbons returned to my side, curling themselves around my legs and ears. I turned to look at Tauros, wondering if he had realized the same thing I had.

"G – guh..."

It looks like he hasn't, judging by the fact that his eyes had rolled back into his head. I shook my head and let out a quiet sigh. Regardless, it wasn't a worry for me if he noticed the truth or not. Such a thing should come to light on its own with time.

"Kangaskhan," however, I am not a patient Pokémon. With a smirk plastered on my handsome face, I wedged myself in between the two muscular friends and held my ribbons up to their faces. "why don't you step back for a moment? I believe you might be choking our terrified friend here."

"This doesn't concern you right now, Barie," Kangaskhan growled, swatting my ribbon away, "I'll ask you to answer some questions later, but for now..." Her eyes narrowed into thin slits as she fired off a warning that chilled me to the bone, "...stay out of my way."

Although I could feel my legs shivering out of sheer terror, I daren't let myself be spooked away by such a thing. After all, I had a sneaking suspicion that if I continued to let this go on, something unpleasant might happen to Tauros.

"My apologies," I bowed my head out of respect for the matriarch's command, but I did not move myself a single step.

"If you're sorry, then move before you get hurt," Kangaskhan snarled, "hurry it up!"

My ribbons fluttered around the air as I shook my head. With my smirk still shining bright, I reached up and placed my paw against Kangaskhan's ironclad chest. A loud, confused – sounding grunt came from her mouth as I gazed into her furious eyes.

"I believe you're not being very truthful to yourself, my dear," I said, "allow me to repeat my advice. Why don't you take a step back and relinquish your grip on your dear friend?"

"What in all of Treasure Town are you talking about?" She retorted, "Get your paw off my chest before you regret it, Sylveon!"

My, for a lovely inn hostess, Kangaskhan sure can be intimidating. I could feel the trembling in my legs getting stronger and stronger by the second. I wrapped my ribbons around my leg and paw in an attempt to calm down my shivers, but it didn't quite accomplish much. I feared that if I didn't get my point across as soon as possible, my subconscious would force me to turn tail and run for the hills.

"Tauros – that is, Brahm – told me something interesting earlier today," I reported, "and it's a certain somebody had been avoiding him for quite some time now."

"A certain somebody?" Kangaskhan's eyebrow rose as I felt her aggressiveness shrink in favor of her growing curiosity, "Who is this somebody?"

"An old friend of his. Somebody who had been by his side since 'back in the days.'" I pressed my paw harder against her chest, as if I was trying to implant my words directly into her heart, "A certain somebody that held a dream to open an inn, and a certain somebody that he considers his best friend."

Kangaskhan's mouth was hanging open as she digested my words. I waited a moment, watching her expression change from one of anger to one of confusion. I was patient, giving her ample time to retort or reply to what I said. However, much like a shy Whismur, Kangaskhan stayed quiet and unmoving.

"Of course, that does beg the question," seeing as how she wasn't going to speak, I soldiered on with my monologue, "if he keeps you in such high regard, then why do you treat him in such a manner? If anything, I'm a little shocked by your violent behavior toward your friend." I shook my head, "Coupled with the fact that you have supposedly been ignoring and avoiding him, it's little wonder why he tries to stay away."

I paused again, waiting for her to retort or otherwise combat my statement. Still, Kangaskhan kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she began to grind her teeth together, making a sort of low, dull noise. Was she nervous? Or was she simply seething in rage from my words? Either way, I was too deep in to back out now. There was only one road for me to take, and that is the path forward.

"Perhaps, instead of demanding answers from Tauros, you should be the one explaining yourself, Kangaskhan."

"Explain myself?"

I nodded, "That's right. Clearly, there's some sort of miscommunication between you and your friend, my dear." With a flourish, I took my paw off her chest and pressed it against my bow tie, "Now that the two of you are finally together, why don't you take this opportunity to clear up any fog between the two of you?"

I jerked my head back and glanced at the stunned Tauros in her grip, "But – ah – preferably without any knock – out holds, hm?"

Kangaskhan's gaze wandered from my eyes over to where I was looking at. Then, she let out a sigh and released his mane. Tauros fell onto the hardwood floor with a dull thump. I trotted over to his side and prodded the side of his face, wondering if he was alright. His tongue was sticking out, and rather pungent drool was beginning to pool up at his cheek, but other than that he looked to be alive.

I turned back to look at Kangaskhan, who was wearing a complicated expression on her face. Her brow was moving up and down, as if she couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to humor my suggestion or remain furious. An internal tug of war must be raging inside of her mind, I figured.

The bright, golden sunlight that streamed through the window in the room began to redden as time passed us by. My, for just how long have I sat here, watching her struggle over her decision? I restrained an urge to yawn, reminding myself to stay professional. Disregarding my growing weariness, I didn't move, and continued to wait patiently for her answer.

"...Barie."

My ears sprung up when I finally picked up a sound that wasn't from the inside of my head. Kangaskhan let out a loud, heavy sigh as she covered her face with her claws.

"I'm... sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to threaten you. I – I just lost my temper... I couldn't hold it in after hearing what he said."

Now where have I heard this before? My eyes drifted over to the once – again unconscious Tauros on the floor. I felt a smirk threatening to appear on my face, but I quashed it and wore my working smile in its stead.

"Why don't you take a seat?" I suggested, gesturing toward the sofas with my ribbons, "If you don't mind, I'll make some more tea while you simmer down."

With a nod from my lovely hostess, I sauntered my way over to the counters lining the walls of the living room. Behind me, I could hear the heavy sound of Kangaskhan lifting Tauros off the ground and depositing him back onto one of the sofas. Smiling, I took a hold of the empty teapot and checked inside of it.

She hadn't made much tea, probably only enough to sate me, and the unconscious Tauros. A small silver tin lay atop the counter, and inside of it held a generous amount of blue – colored powder. Chesto Berry powder, to be exact. Boiling water was already present within a kettle sitting off to the side of the counter. Therefore, all I need to do now is to measure out the correct amount of powder and water.

My ribbons took hold of a matching silver spoon that sat beside the tin. For a moment, I marveled at the beauty of such a utensil. Perhaps Kangaskhan was a fan of fine silverware? Judging from the tin she kept the powder in, as well as the teapot and spoon, I believe I'm not too far off with my guess. Regardless, I dipped the spoon into the heap of blue and added it into the teapot.

The amount I added was enough to satisfy six, perhaps seven guests. Taking the kettle, I carefully tipped the boiling hot water into the teapot until the blue powder was fully submerged. Then, I used the spoon to stir the mixture. A little turn clockwise, and then the opposite. Finally, I withdrew my stirrer and replaced the lid on the teapot. Azure clouds of steam began to puff out of the spout, signaling to me that my preparation was a success.

"While this is brewing," I turned my head around and smiled at Kangaskhan, who was sitting on the sofa with Tauros' head lying on her lap, "why don't you tell me a thing or two about how this all happened?"

"Why do you want to know?" She said, looking a little suspicious, "I don't know you, and I'm very certain you don't know us."

"I don't consider that an issue," I replied, "I am just somebody you can talk to if you need to get rid of some unneeded weight off your shoulders." I straightened my bow tie and brushed my fur with my paw, "Whatever it is, I'll be more than happy to listen to your problems."

"You're strange," Kangaskhan remarked as I made my way back to the sofas with the steaming teapot wrapped tight in my ribbons, "are all baristas interested in hearing other Pokémon talk like you?"

"Perhaps," I gave her a smile as I filled up the teacups on the table with deep blue, "I wouldn't know. The only barista I know for certain about, is myself."

Once all three cups were filled to the brim with steaming blue tea, I placed the teapot onto the table and offered one of the teacups to Kangaskhan. She accepted it and held it beneath her nose, savoring the fragrant scent emanating from the teacup. She closed her eyes as swirling tendrils of sky blue steam circled around her head.

"This smells nothing like how it usually is when I make tea..." she muttered as she opened her eyes to stare at me, "it's so much more... vibrant."

"My, I'll take that as a compliment," I bowed my head as I sat down onto a sofa with my own cup, "why don't you take a sip? I'm sure you'll enjoy the taste much more than the fragrance."

She nodded at my behest, and held the teacup up to her mouth. As she savored her drink, I sat back and did the same. Brushing aside my own brewing skill, I must admit that the powder that Kangaskhan had was of superb quality. It wasn't often that I get to enjoy a tea with such a smooth texture. A rare treat, a delicacy beyond the norm.

"This is incredible!"

The smooth texture of the tea splashed onto my face and my chest as Kangaskhan's roar of delight made my teacup leap out from my paws. My ribbons shot out and snagged onto the teacup's handle before it fell and shattered onto the hardwood floor. Sighing out of relief, I placed the now – empty teacup onto the table and wiped my face with my paws.

"Eheh, sorry," Kangaskhan said as she watched me lick the steaming tea off my paw, "I was just surprised by how good this tea is!"

I looked down at my paw and saw that my pink fur had been stained a rather flattering baby – blue color by the tea. Smiling, I shook my head and replied, "It's not a problem. I don't think I quite mind being blue for a while." I pressed my stained paw against my bow tie and bowed, "I'm quite glad you're satisfied with my brew, Kangaskhan. That means very much to me."

"Hmph, maybe I should hire you to make tea for the inn," she said, grinning, "how about it? I'll be sure to give you a fair wage."

"Ah, that's quite an attractive offer. To be honest with you, I wouldn't mind working in such a lively place like your inn, but..." I shook my head and tapped my chest, "I'm sorry to say, but I'm rather fond of my current position. And I have no interest in changing."

"What a shame," Kangaskhan threw the contents of her cup into her mouth and sighed, "I would've liked to have someone brew me tea this good in the morning. I'd be in a much better mood more if I had something this good every morning."

"My," I chuckled and said, "then it's a good thing we've moved here, hm?"

Kangaskhan shot me a smile and said, "You'll have a regular customer soon enough if this is the standard quality of drinks there."

"Glad to hear that," I wrapped my ribbon around my paw and squeezed a little bit of tea out of my fur. Alas, it appears that I wont be able to return to my original colors for a while. Giving up, I curled my ribbon around the teapot and poured myself another cup of tea before returning my attention back to Kangaskhan.

"Now then," I held the steaming teacup up to my mouth and took a sip, "back to our original discussion. Do you wish to tell me a thing or two about what happened between you and Tauros?"

Kangaskhan put down her teacup and sighed. She laid her claws on top of Tauros' face, resting them on his cheek. The snoozing Pokémon let out a rather loud snort, making me jump. I stared at the twitching Tauros. His face appeared to be turning redder by the second, or was it just the light from the setting sun?

"It's really not that complicated." I looked away from Tauros, and back to Kangaskhan. The hostess sighed as she scratched her cheek.

"Brahm and I have been friends for ages. Born friends, in fact."

"You two've been acquainted since hatch day?"

She nodded, "That's right." Kangaskhan patted Tauros' horns and said, "I suppose you could've called us inseparable. Best friends until the end of time." She chuckled, "I remember spending all the hours of the day together, gamboling and playing around like fools until the sun went down."

"Sounds charming," I commented, taking another sip from my teacup, "but evidently, something went wrong, didn't it?"

"Went wrong... hm," Kangaskhan's claw went up to her chin as she scratched herself while in deep thought, "I have a hard time saying whether or not something really 'went wrong' with out relationship." She shrugged, "If there was anything that I think that truly 'went wrong,' then it would be the opening of this inn."

"How so?" I looked around the living room, wide – eyed, "This place looks incredibly successful and comfortable. I can't imagine opening this inn being a mistake on your part, Kangaskhan."

"Hm..." she patted her cheek and shook her head, "No, it's not that opening this inn was wrong. In fact, I have no regrets about fulfilling my dream of having my own inn."

"Then...?"

Her gaze turned down as she stared at the sleeping Tauros on her lap, "What I believe went wrong... was our relationship upon opening this inn." She leaned down and stroked the gray bumps on Tauros' forehead, "Brahm was never an adventurous Pokémon. He always preferred doing the same thing, tugging his cart and never wanting to change."

"On the other hand, I was always trying to drag him out of his comfort zone." Kangaskhan chuckled and covered her face with her claw, "I had dreams, big ones. I wanted to go out and see the world, to become an explorer. I wanted to see the Surrounded Sea with my own eyes, grab some souvenirs from Amp Plains, and maybe even see a Riolu with my own eyes at the Crystal Caverns."

"Oh my," I covered my mouth with my bow tie, "you were quite an active girl back then, hm?"

"You flatter me," Kangaskhan brushed aside my comment with a wave of her claw, "but yes, I suppose you can call me that. I've always been on the move, never one to stay still and do the same thing over and over again." She reared her head back and laughed, "Well, I say that about myself, but look at me now. Hostess of an inn, how droll!"

"Hm, hm," I laughed along with her. I waved my paw around in the air and remarked, "you say that, but I'm sure most Pokémon will disagree with you. After all, droll or not, I'm sure it's still a very interesting job, hm?"

"Very," a big smile was present on her face as she straightened herself out, "as I've said before, I don't regret founding this inn."

"I don't doubt you," I said, raising my teacup into the air, "however, I am curious as to why founding this inn caused a schism between you and your friend."

Kangaskhan's smile slipped off her face with a deep sigh. She covered her forehead with her claw as she muttered, "To be honest with you, I'm not too sure either. Brahm and I... as I've said, we've always been friends for a long time." She patted her cheek and closed her eyes, "While I've always been bouncing around from idea to idea, job to job and task to task; Brahm was always stubborn and unchanging. Kinda like a big boulder in a way."

"Growing moss?"

Kangaskhan chuckled, "Something like that." She stuck her claws into his thick mane and ruffled it, "I wouldn't be surprised if I'd find his fur turn green one day."

"That'd be a rather horrifying issue," I remarked as I patted my own fur.

"I've always wished that Brahm would support me in my endeavors," Kangaskhan murmured, "but no matter what kind of idea or venture I cooked up, he would always refuse to be a part of it. He was fine doing his own thing, trundling around town and the frontier, lugging a heavy caravan behind him without complaint."

"I wanted him to do more than that all his life. I truly believed that he was capable of more than just being a cart puller like all the other Tauros and Bouffalant. I thought... I thought he was wasting his time away, doing the same thing over and over and _over _again."

I remained silent, taking in what Kangaskhan was telling me. Her voice was becoming harsher, and it appeared that it was becoming harder for her to remain calm. My ribbons drifted over to the teapot on the table and refilled her empty teacup.

"Brahm... Brahm is my friend," her voice was breaking down, and her words were becoming interrupted by quiet sobs, "that's why I wanted him to... I wanted him to be with me instead of doing what he always does."

"Here," I offered her the teacup, "take a sip and calm down, Kangaskhan."

"Thank you," she said as she accepted the cup. However, instead of a single sip, she just lifted the drink up to her mouth and downed it all in one go. She placed the teacup back on the table and shuddered, clutching her face with her claw and shaking her head.

"When I finally decided to settle down and fulfill my dream of opening an inn..." Kangaskhan murmured, "the first thing I did was try and convince Brahm to support me, to work alongside me as my partner."

"I was nervous... it was an important decision I was going to make, and I would've appreciated having my best friend by my side at the time. And I thought... I thought it'd be better for him as well... to try something new, something other than pulling carts."

"But then..." I held my ribbon beneath my chin as I glanced at Tauros, "it didn't work out, did it?"

Kangaskhan's face became framed in shadow as she lowered her head. Her eyes closed as she covered her face with both of her claws.

"I... I thought he'd accept..." she spoke in a voice so transient, I had to crane my head forward just to make out her words, "...we were friends, after all... we were friends..."

She shook her head, "I was so shocked... so devastated when he refused. I asked him why... why he didn't want to help me with my dream..." She sobbed into her claws and shook her head again, harder this time, "but he... he didn't even answer! He just ran! Ran away from me! His best friend!"

"Kangaskhan," I spoke in a firm voice, trying to calm her down. But it was of little use, she continued to flail her head around, sobbing into her claws.

"Was I being selfish?" She wailed, "I – I didn't think about his feelings then..." Kangaskhan's tears were streaming down her face as she continued to berate herself, "I... I just wanted him by my side... but I never thought about how he felt..."

Her head snapped toward me. The light in her eyes was wavering as her emotions continued to trail down her cheeks, "Maybe... maybe I was the horrible one..." She clamped her claws onto her face as her expression turned into one of despair, "Was I hurting him? By forcing him to do something he didn't want...? I thought... I only believed in my own thoughts at the time... that my way was better..."

"Kangaskhan!"

"I – I..." her claws left her face as she stared at them. Tears were streaming down her face and splashing onto Tauros, "I... don't..."

My paws went to my arm rests, reading myself to leap out of my seat. How can I just sit here when somebody is crying before me? However, as I was about to stand back up, something stopped me. A cloven hoof rose up and touched Kangaskhan's cheek, wiping away her tears. Shocked, Kangaskhan turned toward the hoof with widened eyes.

"Hestia..." Tauros' head rose from Kangaskhan's lap as he murmured her name. His hooves moved around her face, caressing her and drying her tears.

"Brahm, I'm sor –" Kangaskhan began to speak, but Tauros stopped her by placing his hoof on her mouth. He removed himself from Kangaskhan's hold and sat up straight, shaking his head.

"Don't apologize... don't," Tauros muttered, "please, don't cry. You have nothing to be sorry for, Hestia..."

Kangaskhan brushed away his hoof and tried to retort, "but I...!"

"If anyone here can be called selfish... it's me," he sniffed and closed his eyes, "not you. No, it was never you."

Tauros snorted and turned toward Kangaskhan. Then, he extended his legs and threw them around his friend, pulling the shocked hostess into a tight hug. Kangaskhan let out a quiet yelp as she found her face buried within his thick mane.

"Brahm?!"

"I deserve all those punches you gave me, Hestia." Tauros body shuddered as he spoke, "I could never see the world beyond myself like you could."

"T – that's not true!" Kangaskhan replied, "You... you know that's not true, Brahm! I've always told you... that we could accomplish anything..."

"...together," Tauros chuckled as he rested his head on her shoulder, "you always were saying that when we were little, Hestia. But... I could never bring myself to believe it. I was... I was stubborn. I made myself believe that I could do nothing more than what the world has given me."

"That's why you refused her offer," I said, "that's why you were scared to move onto something else."

Tauros nodded, "I blamed myself. I blamed my anger, and my rage. I used it as an excuse to run away from moving forward. I told myself that I'd regret it... that I'd just ruin everything by getting mad and losing control of myself."

I shook my head, "And like that, you simply decided to not try. You ran."

"Hestia, I'm a coward." Tauros' brow furrowed as he choked out his words, "Your dreams... even if I had a million years to my life, I would have never been able to dream up anything as large as you could. I envied you... and I admired you. Which is why I was afraid of hurting you..."

Kangaskhan wrapped her claws around Tauros' body and whispered, "What... what do you mean?"

"I'm... just a coward who gets angry... I'm just a coward who is afraid of moving on. I was always afraid... always afraid of ruining your beautiful dreams with my shortcomings, Hestia..."

Tauros let out a quiet sob as he shook his head, "When you told me about your idea for the inn... I thought it was amazing... I was so impressed, and I was so surprised."

"But when you told me to help you... I froze." Tauros' legs wrapped ever tighter around Kangaskhan, making her wince, "I just couldn't imagine myself being a part of something so big. It was too much for me, and I didn't believe I could do anything to help you. I was... terrified."

"Brahm... I never asked you to do anything," Kangaskhan replied, "I just... I just wanted you by my side. I just wanted you with me!"

"I know..." Tauros sobbed, "I know now that I made such a stupid mistake that day... if I was just a little braver, I would've realized what you meant. I would've... I would've..."

"You would've stayed with her."

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Hestia!" Tauros laid his crying face into Kangaskhan's shoulder, "I'm sorry I've left you alone for so long... I'm sorry that I've been such an idiot! Hate me if you want... hate me for abandoning you... but I'm... I'm sorry!"

"Brahm!" Kangaskhan shook her head and pulled herself away from the remorseful Tauros. She turned away for a moment and wiped her face with her claws, throwing away the tears on her face. Then, she put on an angry glare and returned to Tauros with one of her claws raised up beside his cheek."

_Whap!_

"H – Hestia?" Tauros stammered, reeling from the slap. Kangaskhan raised up her arms again, making him flinch in fear of another slap. However, Kangaskhan placed her claws on his cheeks instead. And then she began to move her face closer to his...

"Mmph?!"

"Oh my."

Smiling, I turned away from the lovely scene. A stunned silence fell over the proceedings as the two of them enjoyed their time together. A few moments later, I finally heard the faint sound of breathing.

"H – Hestia..."

"You're an idiot, Brahm," Kangaskhan muttered, her cheeks aglow like the setting sun behind her, "I've always known... you were such an idiot..."

She covered her face with her claws and shook her head, "But... I've never hated you, ever."

"Hestia..." Tauros' face was reddening as he watched his friend shiver beside him.

"Apologize all you want," Kangaskhan muttered beneath her breath, "but... I wont accept any of it. None."

Her claw left her face as she unveiled a tear-stained smile beneath it. Kangaskhan wrapped her arms around Brahm once more as she placed her cheek against his.

"Because... I'm sorry too," she said, "I'm sorry that I never knew about your issues... I'm sorry that I tried to force my dreams on you... and I'm sorry..." she shook her head and sighed, "I'm sorry for hitting you."

Tauros rubbed his cheek back against hers and chuckled, "That's not something to be sorry about, Hestia..."

"Heh..."

They pulled themselves away from each other, giving themselves just enough distance to be able to look into each others' eyes.

"How about... we forgive each other?" Tauros proposed, blushing. "And... I'll change. I'll get stronger, for you. For your dream... and if I ever get out of control..."

"I'll stop you."

Kangaskhan smiled as she held her claw against his red cheek. Then, framed by the golden light of the setting sun behind them, they closed their eyes and shared one more wonderful kiss together.

* * *

"Mister Barie!"

As I made my way back to the inn's lobby, a darling voice drew away my attention. My head turned toward the desk that was sitting in the middle of the now – rather empty foyer of the inn. It appears that most of the guests had been squared away by the lovely little concierge or have left to other places. It was a little eerie, seeing the once – rowdy inn be so quiet and lonely.

"Senia, how are you?" I beamed at the little Kangaskhan as I meandered over to the front of her desk. She waved her logbook at me as she returned my smile with her own.

"I'm fine, mister Barie. Thank you for asking," she said with a cute bow. As she straightened herself back up, she stuck her claw into her mouth and nibbled on it. Her expression became a little uneasy as she glanced around the empty inn. I noticed that her eyes continued to flick over to the hallway I just exited from.

"Are you wondering about your mother by any chance?" I posited. Senia was startled by my guess for a moment, but she recovered and gave me a nod. Chuckling, I patted her on the head with my ribbon and said, "Don't worry about her. She's quite alright." I tapped my cheek with my paw and winked, "In fact, I'd say she's doing a little better than _alright._"

"Huh? What do you mean, mister Barie?"

"Oh, nothing," I shook my head and chuckled as Senia stared at me with a confused look on her face. Waving my paw, I brushed away my comment and asked, "by the by, have you seen my friends anywhere?"

"Your friends?" Senia tapped her chin with her logbook and looked up at the ceiling, "you mean Ludicolo and the Bellossom?"

I nodded, "That's right, those three. Have you seen them by any chance?"

"I believe I saw mister Ludicolo and the Bellossom walk out of the inn a few hours ago," Senia pointed at the swinging doors behind me, "they were accompanied by a Spinda, Wobbuffet, Wynaut and two big dragons."

"Ah, I see Lady and Gent made their way here as well," I rubbed my chin with my paw, musing over just how much time must've passed while I was in there. "to think I missed my entire crew getting back together... my, they'll be miffed at me when I show up later."

"If it helps you any, I overheard them talking about going to their new premises before they left."

I glanced back up at Senia, who was looking at me with a concerned expression on her face. Smiling, I reached up and clasped her tiny claws with my paws and shook them.

"Thank you, Senia," I said, "you've helped me a lot, my dear."

"Ehe..." A darling blush came onto her face as she looked away from me. I chuckled as I let go of her claws. I turned toward the exit of the inn and started toward the door.

"Barie, wait!"

I had just placed a single paw on the swinging door's face before a gruff voice called my attention away. Turning around, I saw a red – faced Tauros panting away beside the concierge desk. Little Senia looked baffled as the great, strong Tauros came tromping over to me.

"Ah, Tauros," I said, bowing my head at him, "I thought you would've wanted to spend a little more time with Kangaskhan in private."

"Erm!" Tauros' head shook left to right as he tried to shake off that blush on his face. He dropped his voice to a whisper, "N – not in front of Senia, alright?"

"Oh, my apologies," I chuckled and shot a quick glance at the bewildered girl, "but regardless, whatever is the problem? Did I forget something back there?"

"No, it's not that" Tauros' face crinkled into a smile as he shook his head, "It's... I just want to thank you."

"Thank me?" I turned my head to the side, "Why, I don't think I did much of anything, my friend."

"You... you helped me overcome my worries," Tauros said, "if it wasn't for you talking to me and bringing me here... I probably would've continued to run away from Kangaskhan."

"I – I still have a lot to learn about running an inn," Tauros muttered, "but I wont run. I'll... I'll change myself. I'll work hard and make sure I'm not a burden to Hestia. From today on, I'm going to be a stronger Pokémon, one that does not run away! And it's all thanks to you, Barie."

"All I did was listen to your problems and tease you, my friend," I brushed a speck of dust off my blue – stained paw and grinned at him, "all I did was give you a nudge from behind."

I jabbed my paw right into his stunned face and stated, "You were the one who took that important step forward. You were the one who apologized. You were the one who pretended to be asleep on Kangaskhan's lap the whole time."

"Y – you noticed?" His eyes flew wide as he shot a hurried glance at Senia behind him. I chuckled and patted him on the chest with my ribbon.

"Don't worry. I won't say a word."

"B – Barie, please," he shook his head and made a nervous chuckle, "a – anyway. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me... for Hestia as well."

"I told you, I didn–"

"You did," Tauros snorted and stamped the floor hard with his front hoof to silence my rebuttal, "and I also want to add that... if you ever need any help with tugging or pulling anything heavy, I'm your Pokémon!"

"Oh?" I hid my growing smile behind my ribbon as I replied, "Tauros, are you sure? Wouldn't you rather have more time to spend with your new... job?"

"I'm sure that Hestia wouldn't mind if I took some time out to assist you," Tauros said, "we're both grateful for your help." He tapped his hoof against the gray bump on his forehead. Then, he pushed it against my chest.

"Also, you can just call us Brahm and Hestia," he said as he pulled his hoof off me, leaving a U – shaped imprint behind on my fur. "it's the least we can offer."

"Oh? You're saying _we_ now, hm?" Chuckling, I took a step forward and pressed my own paw against his chest – right underneath his coarse mane. As I felt his heart beat, I leaned my face in close to his and whispered.

"So when are you going to break the news to little Senia? I'm sure she'd love to learn about her new papa, hm?"

His heart began to quicken at the sound of my words. It slammed against my paw with such a ferocity that it made me think it was trying to leap out of his chest and strike me in the face.

"B – Barie," Brahm's eyes glanced over to Senia again, who was beginning to look a little miffed at being left out of the conversation. I smiled as I let go of his chest. Taking a few steps back, I admired the view of my new friend standing beside little Senia's desk. Or should I say, his daughter's desk. It's a bit of a wonderful scene, I must admit.

My... I feel rather envious of him.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, that nauseating feeling from earlier today came flooding back into my gut. In an effort to endure it, I covered my mouth with my paw and turned my head away from Brahm and Senia. Shaking my head, I forced that thought out of my mind before my stomach churned even harder.

Envy... no, that's not something I should be thinking of. At least, not for now.

"Barie, are you alright?"

Startled, I turned back to see Brahm and Senia both staring at me with odd looks on their faces. My, I've been seeing a lot of that expression today, haven't I?

"It's nothing," I said, brushing off their worry with a wave of my paw, "I was just thinking about heading back to my crew about now." I turned my head around and glanced over to the window, "The sun's about done for the day. I suppose I should meet up with them before they get worried about me."

"I see," Brahm nodded and grinned, "you'll always be welcome here, Barie. No matter what. Hestia said to let you know that."

"My, I'm honored," I returned his nod with a chuckle, "and you tell her that I would be most pleased to personally brew up some tea the two of you – oh, sorry, you too Senia – at our cafe."

"Mister Barie, are you a tea brewer or something?" Senia asked, looking curious.

I chuckled and nodded again, "That's right, Senia. I'm something like that." I scratched my cheek with my paw and added, "If you want, I can make you something you'd like to drink sometime."

"Really?" Senia clapped her claws together and opened her mouth wide, "I think I'd like to drink something nice and cool! And sweet too!"

"Nice, cool, and sweet," I chuckled and winked at her, "very well! I'll keep that in mind for when you and your parents come for a visit."

"Hee, hee!" Senia made a happy giggle as she hugged her logbook, blushing. Brahm still looked a little uneasy, but he bore with it and put a lopsided smile on his face.

"Brahm, Senia," I held my paw over my bow tie and bowed my head low, "it was nice meeting you all. Thank you for bearing with me for so long."

"Bearing?" Brahm echoed, looking a little puzzled, "I don't understand."

"Erm, it's nothing." Feeling a little foolish, I shook my paw in the air and tried to brush my comment away. Then, I turned around and faced the inn's exit once more.

"Good bye, Brahm, Senia," I said, waving my ribbons at them, "give Hestia my regards, alright?"

"I will! Come visit us again when you can, Barie! Thank you so much!"

"Good bye, mister Barie! It was nice meeting you!"

* * *

As I pushed the swinging doors aside and stepped out into the street, I was swathed in the fading sunlight's warmth. My paw went to my chest, hovering over my heart, as I basked myself in this curious feeling.

"Moving out of the city... leaving my past all behind..."

I looked up at the sky. It looked like the very heavens were covered in a vibrant flame, flickering and dancing with shades of orange and yellow as the sun traveled farther and farther away. For a Pokémon of the city like me... such a sight is quite a wonder to behold.

"Do I have any regrets?"

Holding this warmth inside of me, I began to trek down the street. Although there were still a few Pokémon wandering around, the large majority of the populace appeared to have vanished. Perhaps they were all out adventuring, or have retired for the upcoming night?

"I've told myself... I have nothing to regret. Nothing at all."

Taking a turn to my right, I slipped into a space between two buildings. What awaited me was a dim, cool alleyway. If those ladies I spoke to this morning were telling me the truth, then taking this route will shear off quite a bit of walking time to the Main Plaza.

"So then... I'll have to get over it. Get over her..."

My own voice echoed back at me, bouncing off the stone walls that surrounded me on all sides. Sneaking around in here, in these dark, cramped spaces... it sent a nostalgic tingles down my spine.

"I'm here. In a new town, a new life. There's no reason for me to keep acting like a pining idiot like thi–"

Before I could even finish my statement, I felt my legs wobble beneath me. A searing pain shot through my gut, leaving behind it a trail of disgust. Fearing that I might collapse in the middle of the alley, I pressed myself against one of the walls to stabilize myself. My heart was thumping hard inside my chest, making me feel lightheaded and dizzy.

My jaw ached as I tried to force air down my lungs to quash the rising nausea that was threatening to escape my throat. My vision was dimming as my heart continued to overwork itself. It was like blackness was taking over my eyes, rendering the alleyway into a dark cavern. Night was falling, and a cool breeze was sifting through the alley, chilling my body. With my legs fast losing their strength, I felt my fur scrape against the wall as I slid further and further down.

"Heh..." using what little energy I had left, I forced a smile onto my face and let out a hollow chuckle, "how embarrassing..."

Sighing, I shoved myself against the hard wall and tried to push myself back upright. The ground below is all covered in dust and dirt... it wouldn't be very professional of me to get my fur grimy. After all, there was that Grand Opening tomorrow, isn't there? I need to be clean... presentable. This isn't the time to be embroiled in ancient history... I need to get back.

"Lady'll never forgive me if I'm late again." I murmured to nobody, "And Gent will glare at me with that usual prim look of his... and Ludicolo... well, I'm sure he'd just laugh and laugh..."

Imagining the furious looks on my co - workers' faces granted me a little reprieve from the nausea. Grinning, I shook my head and slapped myself in the cheek with my ribbon. If I were to just give up now... wouldn't I be letting everyone down again? I felt a little bit of strength return to my legs as I continued to distract myself from the rumbling in my stomach. Taking advantage of that trifling drop of energy, I forced myself to move forward, one slow step at a time.

* * *

"Barie! There you are! We've been looking all over town for you!"

The soothing sound of the Main Plaza's fountain vanished as a familiar voice cut through the night air. As I looked up into the sky, I saw a red blur zoom across my vision. I opened my mouth to greet my friend. But, before I could even get a single 'hello' out, I found my mouth filled with downy feathers as Lady crash landed right into me.

Groaning, I pressed my paws against her fluffy chest and tried to push her off me. Unfortunate for me, she was much too heavy for a weakling such as I to move with my bare paws. Giving up on extricating myself from her grasp, I sighed and waited for her to recover from her wild charge.

"Lady, are you alright?" I said through a mouthful of fluff, "Didn't you learn not to fly so fast earlier today?"

"Shut up!" Lady shouted back, "You're one to talk, idiot!"

With a huff, the feathery dragon picked herself off the ground (as well as my body) and backed up into the air. She reached down with her claws and pulled my body off the ground. With my ribbons, I reached down and dusted off my fur before turning to face Lady.

"My, how are you this fine evening, Lady?" I said in a casual tone, "Shouldn't you be with the rest of the group right now?"

"W - what in the world are you talking about?" Lady spluttered, looking flabbergasted, "We've all been worried sick about you, stupid!"

"Worried?"

Lady stuck her fuming face close to mine and prodded me in the chest with her claw, "You've been gone for hours, and hours, and hours! Me, my brother, Ludicolo, the Bellas... we were searching all day for you!"

"Can you imagine how I felt when I finally found you here, sleeping in the middle of the plaza like some kind of bum?"

"Really?" I said, my eyes flying wide out of surprise, "my, I didn't think you were so concerned about my well - being, Lady. I'm touched. Truly, I am."

"Guh!" Lady backed off and stuck out her tongue at me, "D - don't get the wrong idea, stupid! I was just annoyed that if you got yourself into trouble, I'd have to do your job for you at work! That's all!" She paused to snort and glare at me, "That's all, I said! Wipe that stupid smile off your face!"

"Right, right," I waved my paws at her and chuckled, "I understand."

"Hmph." Lady rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, "I bet you lost track of time while hitting on girls again, weren't you? You never change, Barie."

Sighing, I held onto my ribbon and brought it up to my mouth.

"You're right, I don't change." I muttered, "I'm still the same, aren't I?"

"Mmhm!" Lady shut her eyes and nodded in agreement, "You're always the same annoying Sylveon as always, Barie."

I dropped my ribbon and sat down onto the ground. The nausea from earlier was rising back up again, forcing my eyes to a close as I tried to withstand the burning pain in my stomach. A humorless chuckle left my mouth as I mulled over my co - worker's words.

"But you know?"

All of a sudden, I felt a pair of claws clamp around my sides. I opened my eyes out of shock, and found myself hovering a few feet in the air. Panicking, I looked up and saw Lady carrying me as she flew across the night sky.

"Lady?!"

"Everyone likes you the way you are," she said, smiling, "even though you're stupid, annoying and stupid. We all still like you, Barie."

"You said stupid twice, my dear," I replied, chuckling.

"That's because you are stupid, stupid!"

Somehow, hearing her call me that name made me feel a lot better than before. As the disgusting feeling inside me ebbed away, I found myself admiring the view of the town at night. The black, sea - like sky was illuminated by millions of twinkling stars, all surrounding the magnificent moon shining away in the middle of it all. Buildings, trees and more flew by underneath us as Lady brought us higher and higher up above this wonderful place called Treasure Town.

A new place to live. A new place to make memories in. It was such a magical... uplifting feeling.

If I can't get over my past... then I'll just have to make enough memories here in the present. Enough so I can finally let it go for good.

"Heh..." I stretched out my legs and let my ribbons hang loose in the cool, night wind. "Maybe I am. But if it means I get to let you carry me around like this, I don't think I'd mind being a little stupid."

"D - don't think that I'm going to do this for you a - again!" She spluttered, blushing, "I - I'm only doing this as a way to repay you for what you did for me this morning!"

The image of Lady and Gent wandering off toward town together, arm in arm, reappeared inside my mind. Smiling, I tapped Lady in the side with my ribbon and asked, "Whatever happened with your date anyway, my dear? Did everything turn out alright?"

Her blush intensified as she stammered, "T - t - that's none of y - your business!"

"My, now you've gotten me really curious as to what happened," I replied, rubbing my chin with my paw, "would you like to have a little talk about it later?"

"S - shut up!"


	6. Three - Tailed Darling

**• ****  
****Consultation 6  
**

**Three - Tailed Darling  
**

* * *

Ah, what a wonderful morning. The sky, although overcast and dim like the evening, held a small hint for a brighter day. Thin beams of gold flitted through the gray layer of cloud, dancing around, flickering here and there like a couple of shy maidens hiding their blushing faces behind a wall of slate.

Taking a step out of my shelter for the night, I lifted my muzzle up into the air and took a deep breath. Fresh. The air of the frontier was cool, brisk and energizing. A stark contrast to the dull, muggy air that permeated every inch of the city's atmosphere.

"Mnng..." A pleasurable groan escaped my throat as I stretched out my sleepy legs. My ribbons unfurled like a young Butterfree's wings. I let them flutter and float around in the morning breeze, taking in the soft, comforting touch of the lovely frontier air.

A loud, rumbling snore pealed from somewhere behind me, drawing my attention backward. I spotted the faint outline of a certain yellow individual lying in a pile of stone behind me. His belly was rising and falling like the surface of boiling tea. The Bella pair were sleeping on that belly, treating it like a rather fuzzy mattress. A pair of blue and red dragons were snoozing away beside them, with Lady's chin resting on Gent's chest.

While I wouldn't call it to the most comfortable of dwellings, our abode for the night was nothing short of an experience. A vacant building, half – demolished and half – rubble, was scrounged up yesterday somehow by my beloved employer, Spinda. Said beloved employer also insisted that we "get used to living in our new home!" and had us take a siesta in that pile of brick and mortar she called a building.

Of course, Spinda and the Wobbuffet siblings went off to stay in Kangaskhan's Inn. My, how unfair.

Needless to say, such a state of affairs was a rather harrowing experience for our dear Lady. While Gent, Ludicolo and the I were fine with sleeping on hay and rocks, that lovely Latias wasn't quite as keen as we were. It took the urgings of her brother, compounded with the rather lateness of the night to convince her to lie down and pass the night.

Well, at the very least, it had a roof. I suppose that's something to be cheerful about.

Chuckling to no one in particular, I strode forward and left my companions behind to sleep. While I can't consider myself a morning Pokémon, I just couldn't help but rouse myself before the sun did. The excitement from being in a new town was still raging around inside my bow – tied chest, sending waves of energy through my body as if I had a rather amorous Pikachu strapped to my back.

After making sure the strap of my purse was secure around my neck, I turned and bid farewell to my slumbering friends. With only the sound of the flowing fountain accompanying me, I strode off into the silent town awaiting me ahead.

* * *

As I strolled through the desolate marketplace, I couldn't help but feel a cold twinge run through my spine. The many stores and buildings lining the road had their doors and windows shut tight, while the road itself was devoid of any passerby. It was a little odd to see the town so empty and devoid of sound, especially if one was to consider just how rowdy it was yesterday at noon. Perhaps I was mistaken to wake up this early in the morning.

Sighing out of boredom, I meandered over to the side of the street. There, I took a seat on a bench placed outside of a closed restaurant. Glancing to the sign hanging on the wall, it appears that this is a sort of 'milk parlor' owned by a Pokémon that goes by the name of Miltank.

My, how intriguing! To have an entire restaurant be based around one ingredient... it makes me curious to see just what kind of delights this Miltank can come up with. I'll have to remember to stop by later once it's open.

As I sat on this bench, I pondered my choices as to what I could do to pass the time. While I had already explored a fair bit of the town yesterday – accompanied by several darling ladies, no less – I could always go take another stroll around the town, perhaps familiarize myself a little more with the many winding streets and alleys of my new home.

Sounds like I have a plan then.

I lifted myself off the bench and dropped myself back onto the road. As I straightened myself back up, I noticed a little something moving around in the distance. A black smudge, or perhaps a mote of ash was wobbling around in front of the building opposite of the milk parlor.

"Mrgh...!" The smattering of black let out a frustrated grunt as it continued to dance about before me. Curious, as well as a little amused by the wiggling thing, I strolled across the road until I was standing right behind it.

It appeared to be a gray – furred Pokémon of some kind. Its fluffy tail flitted left and right as it tried to balance on its hind legs. A large, bulky messenger bag was slung across its petite body, while an oversized brown cap was plopped atop its head. A small, white envelope was sticking out of the Pokémon's mouth. It seemed to be trying to place the envelope into a slot that was present on the building.

"C'mon... get in there... you stupid letter," the Pokémon grumbled as the envelope bounced off the side of the slot, "work with me, darn you!"

I sat and watched as he dropped down on all fours. He released a low growl as he backed a few paces away from the wall. Then, after a second of deliberation, he kicked off the ground and leapt toward the wall with the envelope sticking out of his mouth.

_Thump!_

Unsurprisingly, the Pokémon ended up slamming his face right into the side of the building. I winced as I saw his muzzle flatten against the sand – colored stone, before bouncing off like an energetic Spoink. He let out a pained cry as he fell backward, clutching his glowing nose with his paws.

"Careful now," I sent out all four of my ribbon out to catch the Pokémon. The pink strands wrapped themselves around his torso, catching him before he hit the dirt. His head spun around to goggle at me as I placed him back down on the ground, feet first. The Pokémon continued to stare at me, looking ever so puzzled, as I dusted off his fur with my ribbons.

The letter fluttered around above us, being whipped about by the morning breeze. I sent out one of my ribbons and plucked it out of the air before it was stolen away by the wind. Smiling, I extended the letter over to my black – furred acquaintance.

"Erm... thank you," he mumbled as I presented his letter back to him. With a cautious air, he nipped the letter off my ribbon and stuffed it back inside his bulky bag before looking back up at me.

"You're quite welcome," I put on my working smile as I took a quick bow. As I raised my head back up, I took the time to look him over. "My, my..."

The Pokémon was a bit on the short side, with the top of his muzzle just barely reaching up to my chest. He was slumping his shoulders, giving him the appearance of an exhausted Pokémon. That puffy hat of his gave off the impression that he was much larger than he looked, however.

His heavy – lidded eyes had the appearance of a beautiful turquoise gem, colored a lovely shade of green that you could only find if you stared at the sea. His fur was a handsome gray, with a fluffy collar of black wreathed around his neck. The tips of his paws were sealed in a cover of crimson, a striking contrast to the rest of his body.

"...w – why are you just staring at me like that?" The Pokémon blushed as he took a step backward. He leaned his head down and peered out at me from underneath the brim of his puffy hat, "Can... can I help you...?"

"Oh no. I don't need any assistance." I chuckled and shook my head. I held out my paw to the timid thing while hiding my mouth behind my bow tie, "I was just enamored by how handsome you are, Mr. Mail."

"M – Mr. Mail? W – what?" His eyes widened up a tad as he took yet another step backward, stepping on his bulky bag in the process and losing his balance. He went tumbling backward, head over tail, as white envelopes spewed out everywhere from his pack. Panicking, I shot one of my ribbons out and wrapped it around his waist before he hit the ground.

"Hurf!" The Zorua's body lurched backward as I reeled him in like a Slowpoke fishing a Shellder. His hat flopped onto the ground as I lifted him high above my head, upside down.

"My, my. You're quite jumpy." I shook my head as I smiled into his dazed expression, "Take it easy there, Mr. Mail. I would hate it if you hurt yourself."

Those lovely sea – green eyes of his rolled around in his head as he shook away his dizziness. For a silent second, we shared an emotional moment, staring deep into each other's eyes as if we were a delightful coup –

"L – let me go! I – I'm not into guys...!" The Zorua thrashed around, swiping all over the place with his claws. I attempted to put him back onto the ground, but one of his sharp claws struck my ribbon, sending a stinging pain racing through me and making me let go and drop him onto the ground unceremoniously.

_Thud._

A disappointed sigh escaped my throat as I watched him roll around in the dirt; that admirable coat of slate of his was covered in sand and dust, making him look like a shrunken Herdier. I stuck my smarting ribbon into my mouth, licking the pain away from the wound while he got back onto his feet.

"Oh... oh great," he grumbled as tried to shake off the grime covering his fur. He looked at all the envelopes scattered in the middle of the road and threw his bag onto the ground in disgust. A glare was sent my way, as well as an annoyed growl, "now I have more work to do. Thanks a lot, Sylveon..."

A little shame – faced, I bowed my head and apologized, "My apologies. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

"Forget it..." He shook his head and turned away from me. He grumbled as he started to pick up the sand – covered letters off the ground with his mouth. "...this is gonna take some time to clean up... what a pain."

Dropping the envelope into his bag, he spat out some sand and muttered something even quieter under his breath. Feeling curious, I perked up my ears and caught a snippet of something interesting.

"...at this rate, I'll end up keeping her waiting again..."

A shiver ran through my spine as I felt a wave of icy depression rush out from his heart. However, such an intense chill was quickly wiped away by the burning sensation of my rising curiosity.

Her? Waiting? My, my. It seems like my morning wont be so dull and boring after all, hm?

Intrigued, I glanced over to the downcast Zorua, my eyes gleaming with ill – hidden excitement. He didn't seem to notice the glittering look on my face, and continued to grumble and mumble as he picked the letters off the ground. One by one, he deposited the letters into his pack.

"Are you worried about something?" I asked, smiling at the Zorua. He looked up at me for a moment, before shaking his head and returning to his task.

"I'm... I'm not worried about anything," he mumbled through a mouthful of a white, "I just need to get this done as fast as I can. I need to deliver the mail, I mean... that is my job, after all."

So he says.

However, the emotion I feel emanating from that courier wasn't the burning hot sense of duty or reliability. Instead, it appeared to be something more akin to... desperation and frustration. It was just a guess, but I haven't been wrong yet.

My interest in his predicament was piqued. If I were to leave him here, scrounging around in the dirt like a dirty vagrant, it'd just waste even more time that could be better spent doing something more... entertaining. It'll take hours for him to repack everything on his own. Therefore, I decided to give him a hand. Or rather, a few ribbons.

"Here, let me take care of this for you, Mr. Mail."

Spinning my ribbons around, I kicked up a small gust of wind, whipping the fallen letters into the air. I ignored the cry of anguish from the Zorua and began to fill his messenger's bag up with white by snatching the fluttering envelopes with my ribbons as if they were berries falling from a tree. Within seconds, his flattened pack had returned to its previous, bulging state.

"And here you are," with a grin, I wrapped my ribbon around the strap of the bag, "one filled bag for yo –"

_Thud!_

"Ack!" It was much heavier than I expected. The bag rose about half... no, maybe a quarter of an inch off the ground before the weight was too much for me to bear. A few letters slipped out of the bag and fluttered back onto the ground.

Mr. Mail picked up the letters and threw the strap over his head. Without showing any strain at all, he hoisted the bag off the ground as if it weighed nothing. I glanced at the bag, then at the Zorua, wide – eyed. Did... did he really carry all that weight by himself? With such a small frame... he must be much stronger than he looks!

...or it could be that I'm just weak. Either way...

"Look..." he muttered as he turned away from me, "I appreciate the... help, Sylveon. But I need to get back to work." He sent me a quick glance and added, "Don't follow me." He turned around again. The air around him appeared to waver and undulate, as if a raging flame had been lit around him.

"H – hold on!" I called after the Zorua, but my words only cut through the empty air. About a second later, the black – furred mail carrier appeared to melt away into the backdrop, right before my very eyes. I took a few steps forward, puzzled and disbelieving, but my eyes didn't lie. That Zorua was gone. All that was left was the little paw prints he left in the sand.

"Strange..." I rubbed my chin with my ribbon as I pondered over that Pokémon's odd disappearance, "I didn't think he was part Kecleon."

Sighing, I shrugged my shoulders and swept my ribbons around me. A Zorua courier... how unique! Back at the city, the mail are usually monitored and delivered by Pelipper and Wingull. As I dusted a few specks of dirt off my fur, a flash of white caught my eye.

"Oh?"

There, abandoned in the dirt like a piece of trash was a single envelope. Forgotten, ignored by Mr. Mail as he made his quick getaway. Smiling, I trotted over to the little letter and plucked it out of the sand with my ribbons. After dusting away the grit and grime, I turned it around and saw a few lines scribbled on the other side.

"'To my three – tailed darling?'" I chuckled and tapped the affectionate words with my paw. Such an adorable nickname... Could this be a love letter? My, my. If the recipient... and the sender was to lose such an important thing... well, it'd be devastating!

The address to this lady was scrawled beneath her name. Although I wasn't very familiar with the streets and locales of this town just yet, I was certain that I knew where this three – tailed darling lived. It wont take long for me to make my way over there.

Taking care not to crease or wrinkle the letter, I slipped it into my purse and smiled. It'll be interesting to play courier for the morning. And, who knows? I might just get another chance to meet with that Zorua again.

But first... let's go meet this lovely 'three – tailed darling.'

* * *

The trek was a short affair. About five, maybe six minutes of walking later, I found myself standing at the foot of a small, yet cozy – looking hut at the edge of town. Though I mean no disrespect by calling the building a hut, but it was a tad smaller than the usual buildings one would find around town. However, it did have something to compensate for its lack of living space.

A wonderful flower garden spread out around the hut, coloring the surroundings with a rainbow of colors. Bushes, pots and even some small berry trees were planted on the hard soil of the plateau. Though I don't consider myself an aficionado of flora, I couldn't help but admire all the lovely plants encircling the area. Compared to the rest of the town – which is primarily sand and grit colored with the occasional sprinkle of color – this garden was like a whole different world.

I reached out with my ribbon and held it underneath one of the potted flowers. A pink one, blooming with life and bringing me a wondrous, sweet – smelling scent. As I enjoyed the aroma, a thought popped into my mind. A scented drink... a lovely aromatic delight made using the nectar of such a flower. Ah, that sounds like something I should experiment later on.

"Who's there?"

The flower slipped from my grasp as a voice cut through my thoughts. It was a lady's voice, a rather cute one at that. I turned my head away from the pink flower and looked up at who was calling me.

My, the voice matches the owner quite well.

Hiding behind one of the small berry saplings was an adorable Vulpix. With an immaculate coat of bright rose, and a pair of large, shiny brown eyes, it's a wonder I didn't fall in love with her on the spot. A glint of gold sparkled around her chest, catching my eye and drawing my attention toward it. Decorating her neck was a small, golden pendant on a silver chain. Quiet, mechanical ticks emanated from the necklace. Perhaps it was a watch?

"Good morning," I held my paw over my chest and bowed to the Vulpix, "I was just admiring your superb garden. I hope you don't mind my little intrusion."

"No..." Her voice was so quiet, so wispy that I had to strain my ears just to make out what she was saying. The red fur on her cheeks darkened as she shook her head at me, "I don't mind... it's just, you surprised me."

"Surprised?"

The tuft of fur on her forehead bounced as she gave me a nod, "I... don't get visitors all that often."

"That's surprising to me," I smiled at her and waved my paw, "such a lovely garden like this, along with a lovely keeper like you should draw in plenty of onlookers and admirers."

Her blush intensified and she hid herself further behind the sapling, "L... lovely? No... please, I'm not..."

I stifled a chuckle behind my paw as I watched the Vulpix fidget behind the tiny berry tree. The tree was thin enough that it couldn't possibly hide her entire body. As she tried to cover up her face behind the trunk, her behind stuck out from the other side, revealing a trio of fluffy, curly tails.

"Ah," I couldn't hold back my enthusiasm as I reached for the purse at my side. With an excited flick of my ribbon, I retrieved the letter and held it in the air beside me. The words 'three – tailed darling' glimmered in the faint sunlight as I waved it about.

"What's... that?" She said, her curious eyes were locked on the letter.

"It's a message addressed to a certain 'three – tailed darling.'" I mused, "It's because of this letter that I'm here right now, in fact."

"'Three – tailed...'" Her bright eyes widened as she clasped her paws around her ticking pendant. A small smile appeared on her face as she took a step out from behind the sapling. "Could... it be? Mister... where did you get that letter from?"

"Erm..." I fumbled around with my thoughts, thinking about the best way to answer her question. After a second, I shrugged and just smiled, "Somewhere. Don't worry about it."

"I... see..." to my relief, she seemed to accept my halfhearted answer without complaint. I motioned to hand her the letter over the flowers, but she stopped me with a quick shake of her head.

"Here..." She turned around and pointed at something with her paw. I craned my head around the berry tree. In the center of the garden was a small, glasswork table with three similar seats placed around it. The Vulpix gestured toward the table, "why... don't you take a seat? We... can have some tea..."

"That sounds delightful," I nodded and smiled at my host. She gave me a shy smile back and walked toward the table. As she approached it, I noticed that there was something off with her gait.

Although there weren't any obvious wounds on her legs, she walked as though she had difficulty moving them. In fact, it appeared as though she was trudging through mud instead of walking over the soft, garden soil. A motion came to my mind to ask her about her problem, but I quickly dismissed it. It wasn't polite to ask a lady of her issues.

Especially on a first date!

"This is comfortable!" I remarked as I plonked myself down on one of the glasswork chairs across from her. In the center of the circular table was a tiny, prism – shaped vase with a snow – white flower placed inside, as well as a small, porcelain teapot and some cups.

"Thank... you..." she mumbled with a flushed face. Her eyes, although pointed primarily at the vase, kept darting toward the letter I held in my ribbon. Not one to keep a lady waiting, I lowered the letter onto the table and slid it over to her.

"Do you mind if I have a taste while you give that a read?" I asked, pointing at the steaming teapot. She turned to me and smiled as she fiddled with the letter's edges.

From the scent alone, I recognized the contents of the teapot as a blend of different berries. If I were to guess... Rawst and Passho? My, what a unique combination! Two berries of such bitterness, blended together to make a single drink? I can only imagine what kind of flavor this tea will have! Without wasting any time, I wrapped my ribbon around the teapot's handle and lifted it off the table. My other ribbon went to work, placing a teacup on hers' and my side of the table.

I glanced over to my lovely host as I prepared to serve the tea. She had successfully extricated the letter from the envelope, and was now reading it with great fervor. Her eyes were a pair of brown blurs as she scanned through the letter's contents at a lightning speed.

Chuckling to myself, I took the teapot and poured the contents into our cups. The bright yellow liquid fizzed and bubbled as it dribbled out of the spout, bringing with it the faint scent of bitter herbs. After I was done filling my cup, I went to service hers'. This time, the color of the drink was that of a dull, pink color. How odd!

Despite the change in color though, the texture and the bubbliness of the drink remained the same. Perhaps it was a quirk of mixing two different berries together that caused such a strange reaction in the tea? I had no clue, and it was making me anxious with curiosity and anticipation inside. I placed the teapot back onto the table and lifted my teacup up to my mouth. The strong, bitter flavor stung the inside of my nostrils, but it mattered little to me. I was excited to take a sip of such a unique drink!

"Mm..." The hot tea raced through my mouth, dancing over my tongue and slipped down my throat. It left behind a trail of bubbles inside my mouth, popping, and fizzling. At first, I didn't know what to think. It was something I had never tasted before in my entire life!

I could recognize the cool, bitter flavor of the Rawst, but at the same time, I could also taste the intense fizziness of the Passho Berry. Both berries had such strong flavors, but my feeble mind could only enjoy one at a time. It was as if the two ingredients were skirmishing on top of my tongue, both trying their hardest to vie for the attention of my taste buds.

"Is... is it good?" She asked, "I... made it myself... so I... don't know if it's any good..."

I swallowed another mouthful of the tea and hummed to myself. While the tea is quite a unique experience, I wouldn't consider it something I'd drink day – to – day. It's a bit too exciting for that. However, I had to admit that it was definitely something far beyond the norm when it comes to tea. If given a little bit of work, I have no doubt that something like this will become an amazing brew.

Smiling, I placed the teacup down on the table and said, "I like it very much. I've never had something this exciting in my mouth before."

"Exciting...?" She tilted her head to the side, making the tuft of fur on her forehead flop over one of her eyes.

"Yes, exciting," I chuckled as I poured myself another cup of tea, "it's bitter, fizzy, cold and bubbly. All at the same time!" I took a sip and swirled the tea around in my mouth for a moment before downing it. "It's like a little party happens in my mouth with every sip."

"Hehe..." She covered her mouth as she giggled, "that's a funny way of putting it, mister."

"Please, call me Barie." I held my paw over my bow tie and winked, "Or if you'd like, you can call me darling."

"Oh..." her paws moved up from her mouth to her eyes as she tried to hide her blush, "I – I... I can't... I mean... mister..."

I shook my head and wrapped my ribbon around her paw, moving it away so I could see her adorable face in full view. Smiling, I leaned over the table and patted her paw with my own.

"Your fur is so soft..." I mused as I stroked her exquisite coat of red. I glanced into her abashed face and grinned, "it makes me rather jealous, to be wholly honest with you." I took her paw into my own, and brought it up to my mouth. Leaning my head down, I gave the back of her paw a light kiss.

"M – mister..."

We stared into each others eyes. My pair of bright blue were being reflected in her shiny brown. Her small, cute mouth was hanging open, and her breathing was speeding up. I felt her pulse quicken in her paw, her little heart beating faster and faster as we continued to bask in each others' gaze...

"_Hey!_"

All of a sudden, a loud shout erupted from somewhere behind us. I let go of the Vulpix' paw and spun around in my seat. There, smoldering and seething from behind the flowers was a certain, black – furred Pokémon. His heavy eyes were twisted into a furious glare, and his tail was pointed straight up toward the sky. Every single strand of fur on his body bristled with fury as he bared his shiny, shiny fangs at me.

"Oh, hello there, Mr. Mail." I raised up my paw to wave at him, "It's nice to see you agai–"

"_You... you get away from her! Right now!_" He snarled. His entire body tensed up as he lowered himself close to the ground. Then, before I could even react, he leapt over the flower pots and pounced at me. Fangs and claws bared.

Oh dear.

* * *

**[Afterword: Thanks to Lupyne for submitting an OC to ****A Little Tête-à-Tête!]**


End file.
